Aleksander Lühr Hansen
Insulin helps regulate our blood sugar levels, to ensure that the cells in our body get the energy they need. However, some people develop insulin resistance, and when the regulation of our blood sugar levels no longer works, we develop diabetes. This increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and fatty liver disease, in particular.
In search of the genes behind insulin resistance
Approximately 150 genes are associated with insulin resistance. However, medical science has not yet identified those which directly cause the problem. For this reason, Aleksander Lühr Hansen is travelling to California to spend the next ten months on major genetic detective work. Aleksander is one of the five medical students who have been accepted into this year’s DARE (Danish American Research Exchange) programme, and he will be working with some of the world’s most eminent researchers at Stanford University.
Using CRISPR technology, he hopes to identify the ‘guilty’ genes and help us understand why insulin resistance occurs. His dream is to identify a potential basis for design of a new drug.
Aleksander normally studies medicine at the University of Southern.