analysis (MFA). With MFA, a metabolic pathway activity can be predicted with great precision based on results from mass spectrometry. Metabolomics has enabled the identification of metabolites with powerful control on cellular behavior. For instance, metabolites such as glucose and glutamine feed into various pathways to drive cancer cell growth; methionine, tryptophan and arginine alter immune function in favor of cancer cells, while others such as succinate and 2-hydroxyglutarate are considered ‘oncometabolites’ due to their potential to induce cancer properties. Recent metabolomics work from our laboratory has shown ‘tricks’ used by cancer cells, including the attenuation of anti-tumor immunity by starving
T-cells of methionine and the dampening of chemotherapy via nutrient exchange with macrophages. In clinical diagnostics, metabolites are also very reliable biomarkers, e.g., glucose is used in monitoring diabetes, while urea and creatinine are useful indices of renal function in patients. Other utilities of metabolomics include in monitoring the effect of a treatment on biochemical profiles, detection of inborn errors of metabolism and a breadth of research questions such as determining the effect of a treatment or gene knockout on cancer cell metabolic pathways. In conclusion, metabolomics is fast becoming a mainstay approach in research and precision medicine, and with an extending breadth of applications, and is an important toolkit for driving research in our department. •
The Postdoctoral Fellows Spotlight
T
he Molecular and Integrative Physiology department has a vibrant postdoctoral community, involving researchers on various aspects of physiology and diseases, including diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Under the guidance of Dr. Yatrik Shah (MIP Postdoc Program Director), our postdoctoral fellows hold monthly seminars, annual symposium, and undergo periodic assessment of their individual development plan (IDP). MIP Postdoctoral fellows come from various countries and states across the US and have been successful in receiving funding from various agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) F/T programs, American Heart Foundation, American Diabetes Association, etc.
• Funding Source: Michigan Postdoctoral Pioneer Program (3 years) Dr. Zeribe Nwosu is from Nigeria and obtained his PhD from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Rogel Cancer Center, U-M, under the joint mentorship of Dr. Costas Lyssiotis and Dr. Marina Pasca di Magliano. Dr. Nwosu studies metabolic alterations in pancreatic cancer and tumor-immune interaction, with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic opportunities for patients.
• Funding Source: Michigan Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA) Program (3 years) Dr. Sonya Wolf-Fortune obtained her PhD from the University of Michigan in Immunology. She is a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Katherine Gallagher’s lab. Dr. Fortune studies the role of keratinocytes in shaping the macrophage inflammatory profile in diabetic wounds in order to develop novel targets for treatment.
• Funding Source: Michigan Life Sciences Fellowship (3 years); Pediatric Endocrinology T32 (1 year) Dr. Carolyn Walsh is from Michigan and obtained her PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. She is a postdoctoral research fellow at the North Campus Research Center and is mentored by Dr. Ormond MacDougald. Dr. Walsh studies mechanisms of adipocyte loss in lipodystrophy. She and her colleagues hope that their work will lead to improved understanding of and treatment for lipodystrophy and atypical diabetes.
• Funding Source: American Diabetes Association Postdoctoral Fellowship (3 years) Dr. Zhangsen Zhou is from China and obtained his Ph.D. from Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. He is a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Ling Qi's laboratory. Dr. Zhou studies the role of ER-associated degradation (ERAD) in adipocytes.
Physiology Matters
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