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Decoding Diabetes: Barry Hudson, PhD Investigates RAGE

Barry Hudson, PhD

From as far back as he can remember, Barry Hudson, PhD was interested in the biological and medical world. "I thought I was interested in being a doctor and treating people. But I realized if I became a researcher and discovered something important, my work could have a bigger impact on helping people." says Dr. Hudson, now 30 and an Associate Research Scientist in the Surgical Science Division of the Department of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center.

Since his days as an undergraduate, Dr. Hudson has been doing just that. He arrived at Columbia in February 2002 for a post-doctoral fellowship. Today, he is funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for his work focusing on diabetic complications. Dr. Hudson studies a protein called RAGE (Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products) and how RAGE turns on signals in cells that can lead to the side effects of diabetes, such as blindness.

Dr. Hudson hopes that by studying RAGE at its most minute level—taking it through cells from humans and in lab animals to discover what's happening—new drugs can be created to help people with diabetes, as well as people with other diseases such as cancer and heart disease. "I am always interested in the clinical aspect of my research, not just the biology and how it works," says Dr. Hudson. "What interests me is something that will have a use for and relevance to people—whether that's a drug used for diabetic complications or for cancer, inflammation, or any disease related to RAGE. What we learn through our diabetes work is applicable to other conditions."

When someone has diabetes, the disease turns on many different genes which possibly lead to cells growing abnormally. "The best way to describe it is that diabetes turns on a cascade of other genes, which people often describe as pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulatory," Dr. Hudson says.

So far, the work is at an early level. "We've been looking at different aspects of the RAGE gene, how it works, including at the DNA , RNA and protein level," says Dr. Hudson. "By understanding how it's regulated at all of these steps you can understand better how to make a better therapy.

"We have some interesting data concerning the signaling of RAGE and now we're trying to elucidate which part of RAGE does what," Dr. Hudson continues. "The next step after that is to design inhibitors that can block the interaction and prevent the cascade of negative health events. For example, high sugar levels in diabetics can lead to AGE (Advanced Glycation End products), a compound for which RAGE is the receptor. Blocking this interaction and pathway between the two is key to preventing a build up of too much AGE."

Dr. Hudson started his quest to combine research and helping others at the University of Leeds, majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry. During his final year, Dr. Hudson worked in a molecular vascular medicine group related to diabetes, as diabetics develop cardiovascular disease at a higher rate than non-diabetics. He remained in the same lab to earn his PhD in molecular medicine and to begin his investigation into RAGE. While earning his doctorate in just three-and-a-half years, he published numerous articles in the prestigious international journal Diabetes. "The project we did was very successful," says Dr. Hudson. "A lot of people recognized that I was able to identify the genetic variants of RAGE and their potential in disease."

While earning his PhD, Dr. Hudson collaborated with Columbia's Ann Marie Schmidt, MD, Chief, Division of Surgical Science and Carrus Professor of Surgical Science. Dr. Schmidt asked Dr. Hudson to come to Columbia and work with her upon completion of his post-doctoral work in the Academic Unit of Molecular Vascular Medicine of the University of Leeds. He arrived in February 2002. Dr. Hudson admits that his career has taken off with rocket-like speed. "Usually someone at my level is five to 10 years older," says Dr. Hudson, modestly. "I'm English, so it's hard to be self praising."

His accomplishments speak for themselves. They include the publication of some 20 articles in various diabetic-related journals, reviewing papers for numerous journals, sitting on the editorial board of Atherosclerosis, and authoring two book chapters. In 2003, Dr. Hudson was awarded the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) Post-Doctoral Fellowship, his most prestigious award so far.

"In research, apart from people looking at your papers, you're judged on the funding you receive. To reach a higher professional level, you have to accumulate funding along the way," says Dr. Hudson. "Something like this fellowship is quite difficult to get because there are not so many around and there are a lot of people applying for them. It is very competitive." He currently has an application under review by the JDRF for a higher-level grant, a Career Development Award which would allow him to become an even more independent investigator.

As busy as Dr. Hudson is in the lab, he's just as busy outside. An avid swimmer, he also is a keen supporter of a soccer club associated with his hometown of Newcastle, England and one of the founders of the New York supporters club. An avid photographer, Dr. Hudson recently had a cover photo on Columbia's Reflections 2005 journal of a 60-foot famous angel sculpture in Newcastle.

"I find it hard," he admits, "to rest for five minutes."