Leadership
The training grant is directed by Ormond MacDougald, PhD, Principal Investigator, and Peter Arvan, MD, PhD, and is administered by the Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes Division.

Dr. Ormond MacDougald, John A. Faulkner Collegiate Professor of Physiology, is a Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Professor of Internal Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and his master’s degree and a doctorate from the Department of Physiology at Michigan State University. He pursued postdoctoral training from in the Department of Biological Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, where he began his studies on adipocyte biology with M. Daniel Lane, PhD.
Dr. MacDougald is an internationally recognized investigator for his work on metabolism and adipocyte (fat cell) differentiation - the process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized cell type.

Dr. Peter Arvan, William K. and Delores S. Brehm Professor of Diabetes Research, is the Chief of the Metabolism, Endocrinology, & Diabetes Division, Professor of Internal Medicine, and Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. He received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University and his medical and PhD degrees from Yale University. Following residency training in internal medicine, he completed fellowship training in endocrinology at Yale. Dr. Arvan then joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School in 1988. He moved to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in 1996 and became Division Chief at the University of Michigan in 2003.
Dr. Arvan's research work has focused on hormone synthesis, especially in two areas: thyroid hormone synthesis and insulin synthesis. He is specifically interested in understanding how the proteins that are hormone precursors are made and converted into medically-active hormones, and how these steps go wrong in various endocrine diseases.
Mentors
Our program currently includes 28 mentors in a highly collaborative environment, all with stable extramural funding. They are diverse in their area of specialty, with appointments in the School of Kinesiology, the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and many departments and divisions within the School of Medicine.
Learn about our mentors
- David Antonetti, PhD
- Peter Arvan, MD, PhD
- Dave Bridges, PhD
- Charles Burant, MD, PhD
- Roger Cone, PhD
- Monica Dus, PhD
- Eva Feldman, MD, PhD
- Carrie Ferrario, PhD
- Thomas Gardner, MD, MS
- Jeffery Horowitz, MD
- Ken Inoki, MD, PhD
- Robert Kennedy, PhD
- Jiandie Lin, PhD
- Malcolm Low, MD, PhD
- Carey Lumeng, MD, PhD
- Ormond MacDougald, PhD
- Martin Myers, Jr, MD, PhD
- David Olson, MD
- Stephen Parker, PhD
- Subramaniam Pennathur, MD
- Ling Qi, MD
- Liangyou Rui, PhD
- Leslie Satin, PhD
- Santiago Schnell, DPhil
- Randy Seeley, PhD
- Kanakadurga VNL Singer, MD
- Scott Soleimanpour, MD
- Jun Wu, PhD
- Lei Yin, PhD
Salary and Benefits
Life at Michigan Medicine
Ann Arbor Highlights
How to Apply
Trainees must have a PhD or equivalent degree(s) and a desire for a career in diabetes research, no more than three years of postdoctoral training, and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Priority will be given to recent graduates in areas of physiology, biochemistry, and other basic sciences. Applicants will provide a research proposal, biosketch, and letter from mentor. This training grant has a rolling application process and there are potential 2021-2022 appointments still available with start dates available until August 1, 2022.
Please complete the Postdoctoral Training Program Application to apply.
Our Office of Health Equity and Inclusion has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the program. Eligible candidates may have access to travel funds to interview with the mentor/lab, and visit the University and Ann Arbor. Please inquire before making plans.
We are committed to developing and maintaining diversity in the ethnic, cultural, and gender backgrounds of our trainees.
It is the policy of the University of Michigan to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.
Contact Us
Questions and correspondence can be addressed to:
Emily Fullerton
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes
emfa.umich.edu