Markku Laakso
Finnish diabetes researcher and professor of internal medicine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Markku Laakso (born 1949 in Vampula) is a Finnish professor of medicine and a type 2 diabetes researcher. He was awarded the Matti Äyräpää Prize in 2007, the Kelly West Award in 2008, and the Finnish Science Award in 2015.[1]
Laakso’s research focuses on the molecular genetics of type 2 diabetes and its cardiovascular complications. He has participated in numerous international clinical trials and genetic studies, including FUSION (Finland–United States Investigation of Type 2 Diabetes Genetics), a large-scale collaboration aimed at identifying susceptibility genes, and METSIM (Metabolic Syndrome in Men), a longitudinal cohort of over 10,000 men used to identify genetic variants and biomarkers associated with insulin resistance.[2]
Research he co-authored has examined the Pro12Ala polymorphism of the PPARG in relation to insulin sensitivity and diabetes risk.[3] Further collaborative studies have reported that the Ala12Ala genotype is associated with lower carotid intima-media thickness, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, suggesting a potential protective effect.[4]
