Daniel Drucker (photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize)
Daniel Drucker receives 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
Published: April 7, 2025
Daniel Drucker, a senior investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI), Sinai Health and a University Professor in the department of medicine in the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, is one of five researchers to be recognized with the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
Considered the “Oscars of Science,” Breakthrough Prizes are awarded annually to recognize transformative advances in three categories – life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics. The prize was founded in 2013 by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Anne Wojcicki.
Drucker and collaborators were honoured for “the discovery and characterization of GLP-1 and revealing its physiology and potential in treating diabetes and obesity." He shared the prize with Professors Joel Habener of Harvard Medical School, Jens Juul Holst of the University of Copenhagen and Svetlana Mojsov of Rockefeller University; and Lotte Bjerre Knudsen, chief scientific advisor at Novo Nordisk.
“It feels wonderful to be recognized, not just for me personally, but for all my co-workers and trainees throughout my career,” Drucker said. “For a physician, there is no bigger reward than changing people’s lives for the better and the Breakthrough Prize reflects that.”
“On behalf of the entire University of Toronto community, I am delighted to congratulate Professor Drucker on his receiving yet another high-profile and richly deserved accolade for his game-changing contributions to the development of GLP-1-based medicines,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “Professor Drucker’s work exemplifies the transformative power of scientific inquiry, and he is a continued source of inspiration for students and scholars across our university.”
Anne-Claude Gingras, director of LTRI and vice-president of research at Sinai Health, lauded the "thrilling and highly deserved" recognition of Drucker's work. "We are incredibly proud to count him among our distinguished team at Sinai Health, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to him," said Gingras, who is also a professor of molecular genetics at U of T.
