The overarching goal of our laboratory is to advance human health by engineering solutions for obesity-related disorders such as Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). To this end, we are investigating molecular mechanisms governing lipid uptake, particularly for fatty acids and CoQ, mitochondrial function, hepatobiliary diseases, and adipocyte biology. We have been pioneering investigations into the role of biomechanical forces in brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation and are working on novel lipid nanoparticle-based approaches to expand and activate BAT. Further, we are developing New Approach Methodologies (NAM) based on human induced pluripotent stem cell derived microphysiological systems, aka organ-on-a-chip devices, particularly for the functional interrogation of the fat-liver axis. Our current focus with these NAMs is to facilitate the assessment of biological mechanisms, such as aging, and diseases, including T2DM and MASLD, as well as testing of pharmacological intervention strategies, in the context of human relevant preclinical models.

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