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Dr. Tan held leading academic and clinical roles at ��Ʒ������ before advancing to senior positions in industry with and academia at the University of Michigan. His work in endocrinology has helped shape diabetes treatment and education around the world, influencing both clinical practice and public understanding of the disease.��

How did your ��Ʒ������ story begin? What brought you to the university?

My story began in 1962 in a small town in Malaysia. When I was in high school, I formed a friendship with our town’s dentist, who encouraged me to pursue a professional career as a doctor. Up to that point, I planned to work as an assistant in my father’s grocery store after completing school, but he opened my eyes to the possibility of a different path.

After I graduated from high school, I learned that the Government of Canada was offering five scholarships for Malaysian students to . I had never been outside of Malaysia before, and this seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I decided to apply. To my excitement, I was one of two students selected to study at ��Ʒ������. It was beyond anything I had ever dreamed of.

Do you feel there was a defining moment in your life or early career that shaped your career path?

I’ve had many wonderful teachers in my life who helped shape my career. One was my high school chemistry teacher, who had a remarkable ability to make the complicated nature of chemistry easy to understand. I was inspired by the way he used simple figures and diagrams to connect complex chemical pathways. I had already decided to become a physician, but I vowed to become an educator as well and use this same teaching approach.

When I was studying medicine at ��Ʒ������, one of my professors was an endocrinologist. He described the endocrine system as the body’s orchestra, with the pituitary gland serving as the conductor and the other endocrine glands as the musicians in the orchestra. By “playing” together in perfect harmony, they create the most melodious music in the body. I was instantly captivated by this analogy, and it inspired me to pursue endocrinology in greater depth, eventually narrowing my focus to diabetes.

How has your work helped create better care for people living with diabetes?

My work focused on the vascular complications associated with diabetes. Two of the major risk factors for vascular complications are high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. We found that when a patient’s blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels are controlled, the patient is at a lower risk for heart attack and stroke – two major causes of death in diabetes patients.

In my work as a physician-educator and advocate, my focus is on improving care for patients with diabetes and enhancing their quality of life. I teach medical students, residents and practicing physicians the importance of quality patient care. I introduced the first and shared them with other countries to create a standard for diabetes education. To me, it’s important to advocate for diabetes patients and for continued investment in diabetes research.

What inspires or motivates you?

My motivation stems from my desire, as a physician, scientist and advocate, to improve the lives of people living with diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that affects more than 580 million people worldwide. With a prolific disease like diabetes, it takes a team of people at all levels to make a difference. I believe that working together to advocate for better care and research funding is essential in continuing the fight against diabetes.

Photo above:��Contributing to national diabetes advocacy, , lit in 1989 and burning outside the home of insulin co-discoverer Sir Frederick Banting as a symbol of the search for a cure.

How do you see medical researchers and practitioners continuing to play a role in shaping global health?

Medical researchers and practitioners have a vital role to play at the patient level, the organizational level and at the international level. Practitioners provide care and educate patients and other practitioners. Researchers make discoveries and . Each of us has a role to play, and by working together toward a common course of action, we can effectively manage diseases, prevent complications and improve the quality of life for patients everywhere.