Joseph Bass, MD, PhD, the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Medicine, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) for his foundational work in expanding the field of circadian mechanisms in metabolic health and disease.
NAM is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States. Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors in science and medicine.
“I view this as a moment of appreciation for the field itself and the many people who’ve contributed to our program for over 20 years. The support that I’ve had at Northwestern has also been crucial. It is an honor to receive national recognition for our endeavor,” said Bass, who also chief of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine in the Department of Medicine and director of the Center for Diabetes and Metabolism.
Bass’ discovery that clock gene mutations contribute to obesity, beta-cell failure and metabolic syndrome have transformed the understanding of how circadian cycles control energy balance and the pathologies tied to shift work, sleep loss and night eating.
In a landmark paper published in Science in 2005, Bass’ laboratory established the key role of circadian clocks in regulating metabolism at the molecular and cellular levels. This work catalyzed additional research investigating circadian dysregulation on metabolic health and disease, including a recent study led by Bass and published in Science, which found that energy release during meals is a key molecular mechanism through which internal clocks control energy balance. The findings inform why eating late at night is linked to weight gain and diabetes and has broad implications for dieting, sleep loss and how long-term nutritional assistance is given to patients with critical illness.
Bass’ work has also revealed how transcription factors influence the identity and function of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. In a recent study published in Cell Metabolism, Bass’ team discovered that the transcription factor PDX1 protects beta cells from stress and inflammation, inducing circadian signaling to support proper beta cell function and growth. The findings could inform the development of new therapeutic strategies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
“As an academy member, I hope this provides an added opportunity for involvement and advocacy for the vital support of basic research that has existed in the U.S. and the investment in research institutions like Northwestern,” Bass said. “None of the work that I have done, which is recognized with this election, could have happened without being embedded in an environment where basic science has been supported.”
Bass is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Roy O. Greep Award for Outstanding Research and the Sleep Research Society’s Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award. He is an elected member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Association of American Physicians and the Endocrine Society.
The newly elected members bring NAM’s total membership to more than 2,500, which includes more than 200 international members.
