David E. Cummings

Dr. Cummings is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition at the University of Washington, based at the Diabetes & Obesity Center of Excellence and the V.A. Puget Sound Health Care System. He studies the hormonal and neurochemical pathways that regulate appetite, body weight and glucose homeostasis by using experiments ranging from bench science to clinical investigation. A major current focus of his research is to elucidate endocrine mechanisms that mediate the profound effects of bariatric/metabolic surgery on diabetes and body weight, as well as to determine the role of surgery in diabetes care through randomized clinical trials.

Dr. Cummings is a summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, where he majored in biochemistry. He obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers—the highest award conferred by the US government to researchers in their early independent careers.