Richard Johnson, MD
On Friday, Jan. 27, the Distinguished Lecture Series will feature听Richard Johnson, MD. The听lecture, titled "Climate Change and the Evolution of Humans," discusses a mutation in uric acid metabolism that听likely occurred in Europe as a survival advantage for apes living听there.
The mutation reportedly听enhanced the ability of the apes to store fat and survive during the听period of progressive starvation.听This same mutation can be shown to markedly amplify the effect听of fructose to increase听fat stores.听
While this was a survival advantage for early apes, with the introduction of table sugar (fructose/glucose), the mutation markedly enhanced humans' ability to become fat and can be shown to have a role in the current diabetes听and obesity epidemic.听
Johnson argues this case example shows how climate change has increased human听risk for obesity, diabetes听and kidney听disease today;听how it is being compounded by ongoing increases in temperature听and听how, equipped with this knowledge, humans can directly intervene to听not听only help the species听but听other species whose survival is being challenged by changes in the environment.
Johnson is the Tomas Berl professor of medicine and department head听of the at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus since 2008.
Who: Richard Johnson, MD
What: "Climate Change and the Evolution of Humans"
When: Friday, Jan. 27, 4 p.m.
Where: , room 338
He is a highly-cited scientist who has lectured in over 40 countries, has authored two books听(The Sugar Fix, 2008,听and the The Fat Switch, 2012)听and whose research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health. Johnson's primary research interest has been on mechanisms causing kidney disease, but he also has performed research on mechanisms causing obesity, diabetes听and heart disease.听He has special interest in the potential role of sugar (especially fructose) and its byproduct听uric acid听in driving metabolic and kidney disorders.
Most recently his work has shifted to how animals survive climate change听and the potential role of heat stress and dehydration as a mechanism to cause chronic kidney disease. Johnson also has an active clinical practice听and enjoys patient care.
The Distinguished Lecture Series, presented by the听Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), is designed to bring outstanding scientists who take imaginative positions on environmental issues and can establish enduring connections after their departure.
