Eleftheria Maratos-Flier, MD, Awarded Endocrine Society 2020 Laureate Award

BOSTON – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s (BIDMC) Eleftheria Maratos-Flier, MD, Professor of Medicine, emerita, has been awarded the Endocrine Society’s 2020 Roy O. Greep Award for Outstanding Research. The award was given in recognition of Maratos-Flier’s significant contributions to the understanding of the metabolism of obesity and diet.

Maratos-Flier’s work has shed light on energy balance and the role of hormones and diet composition in the development of metabolic syndrome – a suite of traits that includes hypertension and high blood sugar, which puts individuals at increased risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. In particular, Maratos-Flier has investigated melanin concentrating hormone, believed to regulate leanness, as well as a liver hormone called FGF21, which is linked to liver disease and  appears to regulate behaviors such as alcohol and sugar consumption. Her findings may ultimately help solve the obesity problem and its complications, including type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease.

“I’m delighted to be the recipient of this award,” said Maratos-Flier. “I’d like to acknowledge my colleagues at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and at Joslin Diabetes Center, who created an excellent environment for research in this area.   I also want to acknowledge trainees who joined my lab over the years and who contributed to the research. I hope they had as much fun as I did. “

“Dr. Maratos-Flier has a restless intellect, pursuing studies that span many aspects of metabolism,” said Evan Rosen, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. “Her work ranges from the neurological control of appetite to nutrition to liver metabolism. She is a true translational researcher and is rigorous and skeptical and highly dedicated to her trainees. We have been incredibly fortunate to have her on our faculty.”

Maratos-Flier is one of 13 leading endocrinologists selected as winners of the Endocrine Society’s prestigious 2020 Laureate Awards. The Endocrine Society will present the awards to the winners at ENDO 2020, the Society’s annual meeting, March 28-31, 2020 in San Francisco.

“These, our highest awards, recognize endocrine scientists and clinicians at the pinnacle of the field as well as young endocrinologists who are blazing trails and emerging as our future leaders.” said Endocrine Society President, E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, of the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine. “Our Laureate Awards celebrate the most remarkable endocrinologists in the world, whose transformative research, mentorship, public service, and translation of science to practice has earned them a place in endocrine history.”