Herbert Gaisano

Education

Herbert Gaisano attended Xavier School and then the University of the Philippines (U.P.), where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine, graduating magna cum laude in 1977. He continued his studies at the U.P. College of Medicine, receiving his MD in 1981.

Gaisano later went to the United States to pursue postdoctoral training and an academic career. From 1983 to 1990, he completed a residency fellowship in gastroenterology and internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic and Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota.

Career

Herbert Gaisano moved to Canada to work as a clinical researcher in internal medicine and as a gastroenterologist, a doctor who specializes in the digestive system. In January 1991, he registered his independent practice with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. That same year, he became a staff physician at the Toronto Western Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine.

In 1994, he became a faculty member at the Institute of Medical Science. He was also promoted to the Division of Gastroenterology of University Health Network (UHN), a public research organization affiliated with four of the major hospitals in Toronto. He acted as UHN research director from 1996 to 2003. In July 2004, he attained the rank of professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine.

In 2020, he was named tier one Canada Research Chair in diseases of endocrine and exocrine pancreas.

Research

Herbert Gaisano's research is advancing knowledge of secretory biology and pathobiology, including insulin secretion in diabetes and membrane fusion in pancreatitis. His research team is also pursuing several new areas of diabetes research and investigating why pancreatic alpha-cells secrete glucagon, which raises blood sugar, in an abnormal manner. Additionally, they are studying how intestinal bacteria contribute to metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and related health disorders.

In 2015, Gaisano co-led the creation of the Centre for Islet Research and Therapeutics at the Toronto General Hospital. The project aims to advance the analysis of human pancreatic cells (islets), increase the capacity of Ontario's diabetes researchers and help develop new treatment of this condition. Later, Gaisano’s lab became a member of the Alberta-based Canadian Islet Research and Training Network. He has also served as co-director of the Diet, Digestive tract, & Disease (3D) Facility at the University of Toronto. Established in 2017, it is a state-of-art laboratory with instruments used for animal to cell imaging.

Gaisano’s work has helped reveal how disruptions in the exocytosis of insulin and digestive enzymes can contribute to diabetes and pancreatitis, leading to potential new treatments and precision medicine.

Patents

Herbert Gaisano obtained a patent through his clinical research. In 2002, he submitted an application to the World Intellectual Property Organization and received a patent for his method of identifying a new molecular target. This discovery could lead to the development of drugs to treat diabetes, heart diseases, and other central nervous system disorders.

Publications

Herbert Gaisano has written or co-authored over 100 papers. He has served as a member of the editorial board for Pancreas (journal), and The Pancreapedia.

Select Honours and Awards

In 2015, Herbert Gaisano was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour. His appointment recognized his contributions to diabetes research and his position as “one of the world’s leading gastroenterologists.” In addition, to the Order of Ontario, Gaisano has received the following honours and awards:

• Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (1990)
• Industry Research Scholar Award, American Gastroenterology Association (1994)
• Young Investigator Award, International Association of Pancreatology/American Pancreatic Association (1994)
• Young Investigator Award, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (1997)
• Mary Jane Kugel Award, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (2003)
• Most Outstanding Researcher, University of the Philippines Medical School Alumni Association (2006)
• Centennial Distinguished Graduate Award, University of the Philippines Alumni Association-Toronto (2008)
• Research Excellence Award, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (2010)
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
• Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Science (2013)
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of the Philippines (2021)

Key Terms

Exocytosis – The process through which cells move materials outside to the cell exterior.

Gastroenterology – An area of medicine that specializes in the digestive system, including the stomach and the intestines, and the treatment of its disorders.

Insulin – A hormone released by cells in the pancreas called beta cells. When insulin is released, cells in the body are able to absorb glucose and use it as energy. In a diabetic person, the body either cannot produce or cannot properly use insulin. (See also The Discovery of Insulin.)