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The Institute of Metabolic Science-Metabolic Research Laboratories (IMS-MRL) and its embedded Medical Research Council (MRC) Metabolic Diseases Unit investigate the mechanisms through which metabolic health is maintained and how this is disturbed in disease. We seek to use that knowledge to aid better treatment and prevention of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and related endocrine and metabolic diseases.
IMS-MRL research groups encompass skills in genetics, cell biology, cell signalling, neuroendocrinology, bioenergetics, human and animal physiology, experimental medicine and clinical trials.
Latest news
Hidden mutations in immune cells point to a new mechanism in thyroid autoimmunity
13 April 2026
Scientists in Cambridge have found evidence linking genetic changes that occur throughout our lives to autoimmune diseases, where cells from the immune system attack healthy cells. Published in Nature , the pioneering genetic analysis has revealed how somatic mutations – genetic changes that occur throughout our lives –...
19 March 2026
We are delighted to announce that Professor Sadaf Farooqi is the 2026 recipient of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) - Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) Obesity Prize for Excellence, for her seminal contributions to understanding the genetic and physiological mechanisms that contribute to the development...
How early maternal caloric environment may influence placental development and function
12 March 2026
New research led by scientists from the University of Cambridge has uncovered a striking link between a mother’s body mass index (BMI) and the levels of key placental proteins circulating in her blood during early pregnancy. This collaborative study led by Nooria Atta, Professor Stephen O'Rahilly and colleagues from the...
