Presentation of Mark Febbraio

Professor Mark Febbraio is a distinguished exercise physiologist and metabolic researcher at Monash University, where he serves as Head of the Cellular and Molecular Metabolism Laboratory within the Drug Discovery Program and as a Senior Principal Research Fellow of the NHMRC. His work focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms through which exercise influences metabolic health and disease, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, with the ultimate goal of identifying therapeutic targets and developing novel drug therapies.

Mark is internationally recognized for his foundational contributions to the field of myokine biology. Alongside Bente Pedersen, he helped coin the term “myokines” to describe signaling proteins secreted by contracting skeletal muscle that act endocrinologically on distant tissues. This work reframed skeletal muscle as an endocrine organ, significantly advancing our understanding of how exercise exerts systemic health benefits.

HyperMet research examines the impact of muscle growth (hypertrophy) and muscle loss (atrophy) on metabolism. Increased muscle mass reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and potentially cancer. We are exploring the underlying metabolic processes to develop new strategies for prevention and everyday life.