Currently Funded Projects

Grant #: R01 DK119627
Title: Role of Fbxo48-mediated AMPK proteostasis in the pathogenesis and treatment of NAFLD
Years: 2019-2024
Goals: This proposal will test the hypothesis that increased phosphorylation-dependent, ubiquitin/proteasomal-mediated degradation of AMPK contributes to the pathogenesis of obesity-associated NAFLD. They will establish the identity of the F-box protein that mediates the specific recognition of phosphorylated AMPK by the Skp-Cullin1-Rbx1 E3 ligase complex and address how modulating the expression or activity of the putative F-box protein during the pathogenesis of NAFLD or after development of established NASH impacts major outcomes associated with these diseases.
Role: PI

Grant #: R01 DK114012
Title: Obesity-associated mitophagy resistance.
Years: 2018-2023
Goals: These studies will define how genetic inhibition of PARKIN-mediated mitophagy in liver impacts mitochondrial biology and the pathogenesis of obesity-associated liver metabolic disease, as well as how nutritional stress in the obese liver contributes to post-translational modifications of mitochondrial proteins that may interfere with recently defined phosphorylation and ubiquitination signaling events that activate the mitophagy pathway.
Role: PI

Grant #: R01 HL142589
Title: The role of calcium entry through the mitochondrial uniporter in regulating cardiac metabolism and physiology
Years: 2019-2023
Goals: To define how mitochondrial calcium uptake through the MCUC regulates necrotic cell death in the setting of cardiac I/R injury. To determine the metabolic and transcriptional adaptations that occur following genetic manipulation of mitochondrial calcium levels and the role of MCUC-dependent mitochondrial calcium entry in the age-dependent decline in myocardial function.
Role: Co-I

Grant #: R01 AG059416
Title: Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA)
Years: 2018-2023
Goals: Mobility declines with age, often leading to mobility disability with dependency, decreased quality of life, and enormous health care costs. We hypothesize that muscle mass and the capacity to produce ATP are strong determinants of the mobility disability in older adults. In the Study of Muscle Mobility and Aging (SOMMA), a prospective, longitudinal study of men and women age 70 to 90, our team of experts in clinical and laboratory sciences will use innovative and state-of- the-art technologies with rigorous quality control to test this hypothesis and discover new pathways for the loss of mobility with aging.
Role: Co-I

Grant #: R01 DK124510
Title: Targeting uric acid as a therapeutic for NASH
Years: 2020-2024
Goals: The goals of this proposal are to explore the pathogenic contribution of uric acid to NASH and explore whether modulating uric acid levels with multiple modalities alleviates NASH or slows its progression.
Role: Co-I

Grant #: R01 HL147861
Title: Novel strategies to resolve metabolic defects in the diabetic heart
Years: 2020-2024
Goals: It is expected that these studies will elucidate new cellular pathways that are central to the metabolic dysfunction observed in diabetic cardiomyopathy, and will highlight potential new treatment pathways for this disorder.
Role: Co-I

Grant #: MR2020 109502
Title: Overcoming insulin deficiency and resistance to reduce diabetes risk
Years: 2020-2021
Goals: The project purpose is to improve prevention and treatment of diabetes and associated metabolic diseases by increasing the fundamental understanding of its root causes (insulin resistance and insulin deficiency) through basic science research.
Role: Sub-project PI