Mladen Vranic

Vranic died on June 18, 2019 in Toronto, Canada of congestive heart failure.

Vranic described the molecular mechanisms responsible for increased HPA axis in diabetes and for the diminished responses of HPA axis, catecholamines and glucagon to hypoglycemia. He proposed a new approach to decrease the threat of hypoglycemia by blocking the effect of somatostatin. Vranic's research accomplishments and his main collaborators are summarized in a career retrospective entitled: "Odyssey between Scylla and Charybdis through storms of carbohydrate metabolism and diabetes: a career retrospective. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 299: E849–E867, 2010".

The Symposium to Honour Mladen Vranic for a Lifetime of Scientific Achievements and Mentoring, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2010); he is a Laureate of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (2009); the Canadian Diabetes Association Inaugural Life-Time Achievement Award for leadership in diabetes research and contribution to the Canadian diabetes community (2007); the honorary keynote speaker on Endocrinology and Diabetes; he is a member of The Society of Chinese Bioscientists of North America (2006); the Albert Renold Award from the American Diabetes Association for a distinguished career in the training of diabetes research scientists and facilitation of research (the only Canadian to receive this award) (2005); he is a Poll Visiting Scholar, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (1995); the Novo Nordisk Lecture, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm (1995); the Solomon A. Berson Distinguished Lectureship of American Physiological Society - Endocrinology and Metabolism Section, FASEB, Atlanta (the first Canadian to receive this award) (1995); recognition for outstanding contributions to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Canada (1994); the Mizuno Inaugural Lectureship and Award, Fourth International Symposium on Exercise and Diabetes - Osaka University, Japan (1992); the Banting Medal and Lectureship for Distinguished Scientific Achievement (American Diabetes Association) (1991); the R. Kroc Lectureship, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles (1991); the Peter J. Laurie Memorial Lecture of Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Canada, Toronto (1991); the JDFI Mary Kugel Award (1989); the Inaugural Banting and Best Memorial Lecture and the Canadian Diabetes Association Award (1985); he is a Canada Council Killam Scholar (1988, 1989).

His first wife, Magda Vranic, was an assistant professor in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Toronto. She died of breast cancer at the age of 50. Together, they had two daughters (Iva and Maja (deceased). He married Linda Margaret Swallow in 1983. Together they had two daughters (Claire and Anne).

After the war, his family returned to Zagreb where Vranic completed high school, medical school (1955) and received a D.Sc in Physiology at the University of Zagreb in 1962. Vranic was invited to be the last post-doctoral fellow of Charles Best, a co-discoverer of insulin. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1965, associate professor in 1968 and full professor in 1972 at the University of Toronto Department of Physiology. Vranic was chair of the Department of Physiology from 1991 to 1995. In 1978 he was cross-appointed to professor in the Faculty of Medicine. In 1976-1977 he was an invited professor at the University of Geneva during a sabbatical leave and a visiting research fellow of Merton College at the University of Oxford. From 1973-1978 he was appointed a member of the Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Mladen Vranic, MD, DSc, O.C., O.Ont, FRSC, FRCP(C), FCAHS, Canadian Medical Hall of Fame[CMHF] April 3, 1930 — June 18, 2019, was a Croatian-born diabetes researcher, best known for his work in tracer methodology, exercise and stress in diabetes, the metabolic effects of hormonal interactions, glucagon physiology, extrapancreatic glucagon, the role of the direct and indirect metabolic effects of insulin and the prevention of hypoglycemia. Vranic was recognized by a number of national and international awards for his research contributions, mentoring and administration including the Orders of Canada (Officer) and Ontario.

Vranic was born in 1930 to Vladimir Vranic and Ana Vranic in Zagreb, Croatia. His Jewish father converted to Christianity in 1920, and his mother converted upon marriage, but they were both non-observant. His father was a professor at the Faculty of Economics, Engineering, and Sciences, and Dean at the School of Economics and Engineering at the University of Zagreb. His mother ran a beauty salon in Zagreb.