Michael Cowley, Department of Physiology, Monash University (Australia)
Prof. Cowley is a physiologist and bioentrepreneur with a strong focus on obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders. Research within the Cowley lab has mapped the pathways that are engaged by signals of energy state, and how these pathways relay information to the rest of the brain. He was able to discover new signals within the body that regulate energy balance and describe how other known energy signals exert their effects on the brain. He has published more than 60 papers and chapters, many in the highest profile journals. He is the inventor of 85 patents, and the founder of Orexigen Therapeutics, a publically listed (NASDAQ: OREX) San Diego biotech company that is translating his discoveries into human therapeutics. Prof. Cowley was recently honoured with the Science Ministers Prize for Australian Life Scientist of the Year.









