Jennifer Bruin
Canada Research Chair in Human Metabolic Disease
“My research will help inform chemical regulation and public health policies aimed at reducing the growing burden of metabolic disease.”
Jennifer Bruin from the Department of Biology is investigating how environmental pollutants and pharmaceuticals damage insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, increasing the risk of diabetes.
She is combining human studies with laboratory models to identify preventable causes of pancreatic cell damage. Working closely with partners, including Health Canada and the Alberta Diabetes Institute, her team examines how chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — often called “forever chemicals” — and other pollutants disrupt metabolic health.
Bruin is also developing new ways to measure chemical exposure in human pancreas tissue and studying the long-term effects of chemotherapy on metabolic health.