Our research is focused on the transcriptional pathways that underlie metabolic diseases like obesity and Type 2 diabetes. In particular, we have a longstanding interest in using genomic and epigenomic approaches to identify novel transcription factors and pathways that regulate processes such as adipogenesis, lipid handling, insulin resistance, and metabolic memory. Our ultimate goal is to define novel targets that can be manipulated to improve outcomes in metabolic disease.
Congratulations to Margo Emont on starting her own lab at the University of Chicago! Margo is now an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of the Biological Sciences. Best wishes for this exciting new chapter, Margo!
We are excited to welcome Anne Goergen to the Rosen Lab. Anne joins us from the University of Zurich, where she investigated the role of cellular stress responses in liver and their impact on body weight regulation. Welcome, Anne!
While attending the 46th meeting of the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SEBBM) as a keynote speaker, Evan was interviewed by La Voz de Galicia about the lab’s work. You can read the article here (subscription required).
Frankie Heyward’s paper was just published in Nature Communications. Frankie used cell-type specific profiling of gene expression and chromatin state in AgRP neurons to predict novel transcriptional mediators of leptin action. Surprisingly, his data suggested that IRF3 might work downstream of leptin, and functional studies proved this to be true. This important work illuminates how leptin induces satiety, and also expands the known metabolic repertoire of IRF3. Congratulations, Frankie!
Congratulations to Shuai Yan — his paper was just published in Nature Communications. Shuai showed that IRF3 causes insulin resistance in adipocytes independent of any effect on body weight. The mechanism is via induction of an enzyme called AIG1, which encodes a hydrolase that destroys insulin-sensitizing lipids called FAHFAs. FAHFAs are known to reduce inflammation, and Shuai’s work reveals the other side of the coin: inflammation (though IRF3) reduces FAHFAs.
Evan wrote a comprehensive review article on interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) in metabolism, with help from Zunair Ahmad and Wahab Kahloan. It just came out in Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
