Patrick E MacDonald
Professor
Education:
BSc (Hons), University of Western Ontario, Physiology, 1998
PhD, University of Toronto, Physiology, 2003
Contact Information:
Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms controlling release of the blood-sugar-regulating hormones insulin and glucagon from the pancreatic endocrine islet cells. We use molecular, biochemical, imaging and electrophysiological approaches to study the machinery controlling secretion in cells from animal models and human organ donors. Our group also oversees the Alberta Diabetes Institute IsletCore, a human pancreas tissue biobanking program and we are home to the Canadian Islet Research and Training Network. Dr. MacDonald coordinates PMCOL450/550 focused on the Pharmacotherapy of Diabetes.
Selected Recent Publications1. dos Santos T, Dai XQ, Jones RC, Spigelman AF, Mummey HM, Ewald JD, Ellis CE, Lyon JG, Smith N, Bautista A, Manning Fox JE, Neff NF, Detweiler AM, Tan M, Arrojo E Drigo R, Xia J, Camunas-Soler J, Gaulton KJ, Quake SR, MacDonald PE (2025) Linking molecular pathways and islet cell dysfunction in human type 1 diabetes. Journal of Clinical Investigation, e195267. doi: 10.1172/JCI195267.
2. Schukaraucha Gomes A, Ellis CE, Spigelman AF, dos Santos T, Maghera J, Suzuki K, MacDonald PE (2025) Molecular correlates of glycine receptor activity in human β cells. Molecular Metabolism, 96:102156.
3. Liu X, dos Santos T, Spigelman AF, Duckett S, Smith N, Suzuki K, MacDonald PE (2025) TMEM55A-mediated PI5P signaling regulates alpha-cell actin depolymerization and glucagon secretion. Diabetologia, 68(7):1509-1523.
4. Ewald JD, Lu Y, Ellis CE, Worton J, Kolic J, Sasaki S, Zhang D, dos Santos T, Spigelman AF, Bautista A, Dai XQ, Lyon JG, Smith NP, Wong JM, Rajesh V, Sun H, Sharp SA, Rogalski JC, Moravcova R, Cen HH, Manning Fox JE, HumanIslets.com Consortium, Atlas E, Bruin JE, Mulvihill EE, Verchere CB, Foster LJ, Gloyn AL, Johnson JD, Pepper AR, Lynn FC, Xia J, MacDonald PE. (2025) HumanIslets.com: Improving accessibility, integration and usability of human research islet data. Cell Metabolism, 37(1):7-11.
5. Lin H, Suzuki K, Smith N, Li X, Nalbach L, Fuentes S, Spigelman AF, Dai XQ, Bautista A, Ferdaoussi M, Aggarwal S, Pepper AR, Roma LP, Ampofo E, Li WH, MacDonald PE (2024) A role and mechanism for redox sensing by SENP1 in β-cell responses to high fat feeding. Nature Communications, 15(1):334.
6. Dai XQ, Camunas-Soler J, Briant LJB, dos Santos T, Spigelman AF, Walker EM, Arrojo e Drigo R, Bautista A, Jones RC, Lyon J, Nie A, Smith N, Manning Fox JE, Kim SK, Rorsman P, Stein RW, Quake SR, MacDonald PE (2022) Heterogenous impairment of alpha-cell function in type 2 diabetes is linked to cell maturation state. Cell Metabolism, 34(2):256-268.e5.