Bernard Thorens is a Professor at the Center for Integrative Genomics of the University of Lausanne. He graduated in biochemistry from the university of Geneva and did postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT. He was the first to molecularly clone the glucose transporter Glut2 and the receptor for the gluco-incretin hormone GLP-1. His present research focuses on the identification of the central nervous glucose sensing pathways that control glucose and energy homeostasis. In also investigates novel signaling pathways controlling adult pancreatic beta-cell plasticity as regulated by gluco-incretin hormones and metabolic stresses. These regulatory pathways may be targeted for the treatment of diabetes. He is the scientific leader of the IMI project “Improving beta-cell function and identification of diagnostic biomarkers for treatment monitoring in diabetes, (IMIDIA)”.