Robert S. Sherwin, MD, C.N.H. Long Professor of Medicine and associate dean for clinical and translational research, retired on December 31, 2018, after 44 years at the School of Medicine.
A dedicated mentor, outstanding clinician, and renowned researcher, Sherwin has had a lasting impact on his colleagues, trainees, and patients. He has served as director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)-funded Diabetes Research Center since 1993 and as chief of endocrinology in the Department of Internal Medicine since 2010. Early in his career, he pioneered the glucose clamp technique to measure insulin sensitivity during a fellowship at the NIH. He went on to play a key role in the development of the insulin pump, which was a major step forward in treating diabetes. His research also laid the groundwork for the landmark NIH-funded Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), which demonstrated the longterm complications associated with the disease. In addition to clinical research, Sherwin has conducted basic science research leading to discoveries on glucose counterregulation and the immune mechanisms leading to type 1 diabetes. He has also conducted research on type 2 diabetes, showing that the brain processes the simple sugars fructose and glucose differently, suggesting that fructose may promote overeating. He has received over 40 years of continuous NIH R01 support for his research, including two 10-year Merit awards, and has written over 400 peer-reviewed papers.
Sherwin has been passionate about guiding the next generation of clinician-scientists during his long career, mentoring nearly 100 postdoctoral fellows and students, many of whom are now at the forefront of diabetes research. As founding director of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI), he was instrumental in establishing the YCCI Scholars Program, which has provided support to 137 junior faculty members to date. He is justifiably proud of the success of this program, whose Scholars have gone on to successfully compete for more than 700 grants worth over $400 million; have published over 4,000 papers; and 99 percent of whom remain engaged in research.
Sherwin has received many accolades: He is a recipient of the Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement from the American Diabetes Association (ADA); the ADA’s Albert Renold Award for Mentoring in Diabetes Research; and the Edward H. Ahrens, Jr. Award for Patient Oriented Research. Under his stewardship YCCI, supported by an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award since 2006, has grown substantially, providing research support and training to an ever-growing number of clinical and translational investigators.
We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his decades of commitment to the School of Medicine and his many contributions to science and to improving patient care. In honor of his outstanding contributions to clinical and translational research, the YCCI All Scholar Day will be renamed the Robert S. Sherwin YCCI All Scholar Day. The inaugural event was held on March 14, 2019.
A Lifetime of Achievement- Recent Honors
- Inductee, Worldwide Lifetime Achievement (2017)
- Recipient, Clinical Translational Science Award, Center for Clinical Investigation, Yale School of Medicine (2005-Present)
- Recipient, Edward H. Ahrens, Jr. Distinguished Investigator Award, Association for Clinical and Translational Science (2016)
- Recipient, John K. & Mary E. Davidson Lectureship & Award, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto (2015)
- Recipient, Naomi Berrie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diabetes Research, Columbia University (2015)
- Recipient, MERIT Award, National Institutes of Health (1995-2003, 2003-2013)
- Recipient, Albert Renold Award for Mentoring in Diabetes Research, American Diabetes Association (2011)
- Recipient, Banting Medal for Service, American Diabetes Association (2007)
- Recipient, Novartis Award for Long-Standing Achievement in Diabetes (2004)
- Recipient, Distinguished Alumnus Award, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2002)
- Recipient, David Rumbough Award for Scientific Achievement, JDRF (1993)
- Recipient, Research Career Development Award,National Institutes of Health (1977-1982)
- Recipient, Albert Renold Medal, European Association for the Study of Diabetes; Honoree, Denis McGarry Lecturer, National Meeting, JDRF
- Recipient, Jonathan May Award, Connecticut Chapter, American Diabetes Association
- Honoree, Charles Best Lecture, University of Toronto
- Honoree, Harold Rifkin Lecturer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Honoree, Lilly Lecturer, Kings College, London, England
- Honoree, Weinstein Lecturer, Vanderbilt University
- Featured Listee, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering (2010)
- Featured Listee, Who’s Who in the East (2009)
- Featured Listee, Who’s Who in America (2000-2001, 2008)
- Featured Listee, Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare (2006)