Insulin 100 News

“It Works! Now What?” by Christopher Rutty

Photograph of the Connaught Laboratories ca. 1923 [UToronto, Insulin collection]

Congratulations to Christopher Rutty whose new article ““It Works! Now What?” Insulin Development, Production, and Distribution at Connaught Laboratories, University of Toronto, 1922–24″ appears in the Canadian Journal of Health History.

Chris’ article focuses on Connaught’s intimate involvement in the history of insulin from January 1922 through the summer of 1924, tracing the challenges and innovations of developing larger-scale production methods, the establishment and expansion of Canadian insulin production capacity, and the key role the labs played in spearheading the global distribution of insulin.

Insulin 100 News

Heritage Toronto Award Nomination for The Discovery of Insulin: Special Centenary Edition

The Special Centenary Edition of Michael Bliss’s The Discovery of Insulin has been nominated for a Heritage Toronto Award in the Book category. This edition features a new preface by the late Michael Bliss and a new foreword by Alison Li.

The Heritage Toronto Awards is the city’s premiere heritage event which showcases achievements in the heritage sector. Winners will be announced live at the Heritage Toronto Awards, which will be held on Monday, October 17, 2022 at the Carlu (444 Yonge Street). 

Insulin 100 News

“Insulin: the discovery that transformed diabetic care” on BBC World Service

Charles Herbert Best, Canadian physiologist who assisted Frederick Banting to isolate Insulin, in his laboratory. Credit: Universal History Archive/Getty Images

Alison Li joins Victor Joergens and Kersten Hall in a panel discussion hosted by Bridget Kendall of the BBC World Service – The Forum. They discuss the twists and turns in the story of the discovery and development of insulin.

Broadcasts May 26 at 5:06 and 19:06 local time and May 29 9:06 local time or visit The Forum to listen.

Free podcast/download through iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-forum/id284278990?mt=2%29

Insulin 100 News

The Artist Behind Insulin

Christopher Rutty appears in episode 3 of University of Toronto Old School Stories which looks at the artistic side of Frederick Banting. Also interviewed in this video are Bob Banting, Banting family historian and host of The Life and Times of Sir Frederick Banting podcast, and Barbara Fischer, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Art Museum at the University of Toronto.

Insulin 100 News

Rethinking the “discovery” of insulin

JJR Macleod, Charles Best, Frederick Banting, JB Collip [UT Insulin]

Alison Li has two new articles offering perspectives on the discovery of insulin during this year’s centenary celebrations.

“Rethinking the ‘discovery’ of insulin” appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, 25 October 2021

“Insulin’s centenary: complexity and collaboration” appeared in The Lancet, 13 November 2021, as part of an issue on the challenging theme: “100 years of insulin: technical success but access failure.”