Research Areas

Our laboratory broadly studies transcriptional regulation of metabolic and vascular homeostasis using nuclear receptors as model signaling molecules. Currently, we are investigating the cellular and physiological functions of orphan nuclear receptors (e.g. estrogen-related receptors) and their co-figure1regulators (e.g. PGC1’s). We use a wide-ranging approach including genetically engineered mice, murine disease models, high-throughput gene expression analysis (e.g. RNA-sequencing, ChIP-sequencing), pharmacology, cell signal and in vitro systems in our studies. These tools are being used to investigate the role of ERR’s and PGC1’s in (I) cellular processes such as genome-wide gene orchestration, mitochondrial biogenesis and angiogenesis; (II) physiological phenomenon such as exercise adaptation and whole-body metabolism; as well as (III) diseases such as obesity/diabetes, peripheral arterial disease and muscular dystrophies. Ongoing research in areas collective recognized as ‘Metabolic-Vascular Syndromes’ is described below.