Florida Hospital Diabetes Institute and Sanford-Burnham Welcome Diabetes and Obesity Expert Dr. Richard E. Pratley

ORLANDO, Fla., April 4, 2011 - Florida Hospital and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona are pleased to welcome diabetes and obesity expert Dr. Richard E. Pratley, who will have senior role with both organizations. At Florida Hospital, Dr. Pratley has been appointed Medical Director of the Florida Hospital Diabetes Institute (FHDI), the largest endocrine practice in Central Florida, as well as Senior Faculty at the Florida Hospital - Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes (TRI). Additionally, he will serve as a professor and faculty member at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona.

Central Florida has seen rapid growth in the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes over the past 30 years.  As a leader in diabetes and obesity research, Dr. Pratley has conducted a large number of studies on obesity, diabetes, metabolism and the effects of exercise and weight loss on energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity. 

"Recruitment of Dr. Pratley, an internationally recognized physician scientist in the area of diabetes and metabolism, enhances our progress towards a growing research base in translational research at the TRI," said Dr. Steven Smith, scientific director at the TRI. "His expertise will accelerate moving discoveries from the basic science bench to patients with metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease at Florida Hospital."

Dr. Pratley is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, and trained in internal medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He did further training in geriatrics and gerontology at the University of Michigan; Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland; and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. He subsequently served as Head of the Diabetes and Metabolism Unit of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Diabetes and Nutrition Section in Phoenix, Arizona, before taking a position as Senior Director in the Cardiovascular and Metabolism Therapeutic Area at Novartis Pharmaceuticals where he worked on the clinical development of new drugs for diabetes until 2004.      

"We are very excited about the addition of Dr. Pratley as Central Florida moves to becoming a medical destination," said Dr. David Moorhead, chief medical officer at Florida Hospital. "Together, Florida Hospital and Sanford-Burnham will advance diabetes knowledge and enhance the treatment of patients with diabetes in Central Florida and beyond."

Dr. Pratley has led many large-scale investigations, including NIH and pharmaceutical sponsored studies, and was a recipient of the Henry Christian Award for Excellence in Clinical Research from the American Federation for Clinical Research Foundation. His current research interests include the prevention of diabetes, improving the care for persons with diabetes, developing new drugs to treat and prevent diabetes and its complications and understanding the role of the fat cell in increasing the risk for diabetes and heart disease. Dr. Pratley is a member of the American Diabetes Association, the European Associations for the Study of Diabetes and The Obesity Society. He regularly presents at national and international meetings, has written over 150 peer-reviewed articles and is a Principal Investigator for both NIH and pharmaceutical company sponsored trials in diabetes and obesity. He is on the editorial boards of Diabetes Care and Current Diabetes Reports and acts as an ad hoc reviewer for many journals, including the American Journal of Cardiology and Diabetes.

For media inquiries only, contact Florida Hospital Media Relations at 407-303-8217.

About Florida Hospital

Florida Hospital, one of the largest not-for-profit hospitals in the country, is a faith based, full-service, academic and teaching healthcare system focused on providing whole person care. Florida Hospital is home to the largest diabetes and endocrine practice in Central Florida, as well as the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes.  Florida Hospital is a designated statutory teaching hospital and also trains physicians from all around the world in the newest technologies. Florida Hospital has received the Joint Commission "Gold Seal" as well as is a two-time recipient of the State of Florida "Governor's Sterling Award." For more information, please visit www.floridahospital.com.

About the TRI 

The Florida Hospital-Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes (TRI) is the product of an innovative affiliation between Florida Hospital and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. By linking one of the largest not-for-profit hospitals in the country with a nationally renowned basic science leader, the TRI bridges the gap between the research bench and the patient's bedside. The mission of the TRI is to extend and improve the quality of lives through the translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to the diagnosis and treatment of human disease.

The TRI's new 54,000-square-foot, technologically advanced translational research facility is currently under construction at Florida Hospital's Health Village in Orlando and is expected to open by the end of 2011. For additional information, please visit www.TRI-MD.org.

About Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute is dedicated to discovering the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow.  Sanford-Burnham, with operations in California and Florida, is one of the fastest-growing research institutes in the country.  The Institute ranks among the top independent research institutions nationally for NIH grant funding and among the top organizations worldwide for its research impact.  From 1999 - 2009, Sanford-Burnham ranked #1 worldwide among all types of organizations in the fields of biology and biochemistry for the impact of its research publications, defined by citations per publication, according to the Institute for Scientific Information.  According to government statistics, Sanford-Burnham ranks #2 nationally among all organizations in capital efficiency of generating patents, defined by the number of patents issued per grant dollars awarded.

Sanford-Burnham utilizes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases.  The Institute is especially known for its world-class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies.  Sanford-Burnham is a nonprofit public benefit corporation.  For more information, please visit www.sanfordburnham.org.