Dr. Olefsky is Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Associate Dean of Scientific Affairs for the UCSD School of Medicine.  He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. One of his seminal contributions to the field of Medicine has been the identification of the role of insulin resistance as a primary cause of Type II (non-insulin dependent, adult-onset) diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and other human diseases. His work has also helped develop insulin-sensitizing drugs that are now standard therapies for Type II diabetes. More recently, his lab has developed studies establishing the role of macrophage-mediated tissue inflammation as a key cause of obesity-related insulin resistance. He has conducted numerous studies to help define the basic genetic and cellular mechanisms underlying decreased insulin action in human pathophysiologic states.