Biography
Prof. Bart Staels’ research focuses on molecular pharmacology of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, including dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes. He particularly studies the role of nuclear receptors (such as the PPARs, FXR, Rev-erba and RORa) in the control of inflammation and lipid and glucose homeostasis as well as the transcriptional mechanisms involved. Pr. Staels was among the first to identify a crucial role for the nuclear receptor PPARa in the control of lipid and glucose metabolism as well as cardiovascular function in humans. He elucidated the action mechanism of the fibrate class of drugs that are currently used in the treatment of lipid disorders and worked also on the action mechanism of the glitazones, a very recently developed class of anti-diabetic drugs. His work has identified the PPAR transcription factors as potential drug targets for the treatment of diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease, which contributed to the development of several novel therapeutic compounds, one of them is currently in type IIb of clinical development.
To date, Prof. Staels has published more than 295 original papers. He has also authored more than 160 review articles and contributed to several book chapters. Prof. Staels is also reviewer for numerous international journals and has been invited speaker at many prestigious international meetings.
His outstanding achievements have been recognised by several awards including the Young Investigator Award of the European Atherosclerosis Society, the Bronze Medal of the CNRS and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the British Atherosclerosis Society, and the pharmaceutical “Barré” prize 2007 from the Faculté de Pharmacie of Montreal.
In addition to his work as an advisor in scientific matters to the EAS Executive Committee, Prof. Staels is the President of the Nouvelle Société Française d’Athérosclérose (NSFA) from 2009. Pr. Staels is co-founder of the biotechnology company Genfit SA, and president of the Scientific Advisory Board. He is co-founder and board member of EGID (European Genomic Institute for Diabetes). He is also a member of learned societies such as the International Atherosclerosis Societies (Distinguished Fellow), the ALFEDIAM, the American Heart Association (Premium Professional Silver Heart Member), the American Diabetes Association and European Association for the Study of Diabetes.