Amira Klip

The goals of Dr. Amira Klip’s research are:

1. To understand the molecular and cellular basis of the regulation of glucose transport into muscle cells, with emphasis on how insulin and contraction signal to intracellular traffic events.
2. To resolve how glucose and insulin cross the microvasculature to reach tissues. 
3. To investigate cellular paradigms and animal models to identify the various contributions by immune cells to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. 

Research

Dr. Klip endeavours to unravel the intra- and inter-cellular mechanisms regulating glucose uptake into muscle in response to insulin or exercise, and how this integrated response fails in pre-diabetes.   

This goal is approached through four interrelated projects: 

1. To generate a molecular blueprint of insulin signals that promote glucose uptake into muscle, and investigate how they fail in diabetogenic conditions.
2. To identify the molecular cues elicited by exercise that promote glucose uptake into muscle, and exploit them to reverse insulin resistance.
3. To investigate how microvascular endothelial cells deliver insulin and glucose to adipose and muscle tissues.
4. To understand the communication between muscle, endothelial and immune cells, and how they cooperate during muscle repair after exercise or conspire to promote insulin resistance.

Education and experience

• 2014: Visiting Professor, Cell Biology Department, Institut Curie, Paris, France 
• 2007–2010: Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Physiology–Endocrinology and Metabolism 
• 1992–Present: Senior Scientist, Cell Biology Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1992–Present: Professor, Departments of Paediatrics, Biochemistry, & Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1991–2008: Associate Chief of Research, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1986–2009: Founder and Director, Research Training Centre, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1985–1992: Associate Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1980–1985: Assistant Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1980–1992: Scientist, Cell Biology Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1979–1980: Senior Research Associate, Division of Neurology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1978–1979: Research Associate, Laboratorium fur Biochemie, ETH-Zentrum, Zurich, Switzerland 
• 1976–1978: Postdoctoral Fellow, Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada 
• 1975–1976: Biology Teacher, Monte Sinai High School, Mexico City, Mexico 
• 1975: Membrane Structure and Function Training Course, Academia dei Lincei, Rome, Italy 
• 1975: Mitochondria: Biogenesis, Structure, and Function Training Course, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico 
• 1975: Training in Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 
• 1974–1976: Doctor in Science (PhD), Department of Biochemistry, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnical Institute, Mexico City, Mexico 
• 1974: Membrane Biophysics Training Course, Yale University School of Medicine, NH 
• 1970–1974: College and Master in Science (M.Sc.), Department of Biochemistry, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnical Institute, Mexico City, Mexico 

Achievements

• 2017: Ulrich Hopfer Lecturer, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 
• 2016: Walter B. Cannon Memorial Award, American Physiological Society, San Diego, CA 
• 2015: Fellow, American Physiological Society, San Diego, CA 
• 2015: Honorary Doctorate, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark 
• 2014: Rothschild-Yvette Mayent-Institut Curie Award, Paris, France 
• 2013: Peter F. Curran Award Lecture, Yale University, New Haven, CT 
• 2013: Hugh Davson Distinguished Award, American Physiological Society, Cell Biology Section 
• 2011: Elected Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences 
• 2011–2018: Canada Research Chair Tier 1, Cell Biology of Insulin Action 
• 2009: Honorary Professor, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China 
• 2008: Glassman Lecturer, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 
• 2007–2010: Editor-in-Chief – American Journal of Physiology–Endocrinology and Metabolism 
• 2006: Dozor Visiting Scholar, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel 
• 2005: Solomon A. Berson Distinguished Award, American Physiological Society, Endocrinology & Metabolism Section 
• 2004–2011: Canada Research Chair Tier 1, Cell Biology of Insulin Action 
• 2004: G. Malcolm Brown Award, Canadian Federation of Biological Societies  
• 2002: Dales Award for Medical Research, Life Sciences Committee, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON 
• 2000: Elected Fellow, Royal Society of Canada 
• 2000: Jeanne Manery Fisher Memorial Lectureship Award, Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology 
• 1999–2004: MRC Distinguished Scientist Award, Medical Research Council of Canada 

1. Fink LN, Costford SR, Lee YS, Jensen TE, Bilan PB, Oberbach A, Blüher M, Olefsky JM, Sams A, Klip A.  (2014) Pro-inflammatory macrophages increase in skeletal muscle of high fat-fed mice and correlate with metabolic risk markers in humans.  Obesity (Silver Spring) 22: 3: 747-57. 
2. Pillon NJ, Li YE, Fink LN, Brozinick JT, Nikolayev A, Kuo MS, Bilan PJ, Klip A.  (2014) Nucleotides Released from Palmitate-Challenged Muscle Cells Through Pannexin-3 Attract Monocytes.  Diabetes 63: 11: 3815-26. 
3. Sun Y, Jaldin-Fincati J, Liu Z, Bilan PJ, Klip A.  (2016) A complex of Rab13 with MICAL-L2 and α-actinin-4 is essential for insulin-dependent GLUT4 exocytosis.  Mol. Biol. Cell 27: 1: 75-89. 
4. Chan KL, Tam TH, Boroumand P, Prescott D, Costford SR, Escalante NK, Fine N, Tu Y-S, Robertson SJ, Prabaharan D, Liu Z, Bilan PJ, Salter MW, Glogauer M, Girardin SE, Philpott DJ, Klip A.  (2017) Circulating NOD1 Activators and Hematopoietic NOD1 Receptors Contribute to Metabolic Inflammation and Insulin Resistance.  Cell Rep. 18: 2415-26. 
5. Tam TH, Chan KL, Boroumand P, Liu Z, Brozinick JT, Bui HH, Roth K, Wakefield CB, Penuela S, Bilan PJ, Klip A.  (2020) Nucleotides released from palmitate-activated murine macrophages attract neutrophils.  J. Biol. Chem. 295: 15: 4902-11. 

See a full list of Amira Klip's publications