Research
Featured Research Areas
The Benson Lab is focused on developing new approaches to use mass-spectrometry-based metabolomic and affinity-based proteomic data from blood and other tissue samples obtained from large human population studies and smaller perturbational studies to identify novel pathways in early cardiometabolic disease. The lab uses basic molecular biology, cell biology, and animal model systems to experimentally validate and study these new findings.
N-acyl-amino acids in cardiometabolic disease
We are now using data from human genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics profiling studies to guide investigations at the bench and identify the functional role of these molecules in cardiometabolic disease.
Multi-omics data for mechanistic insight
We are developing strategies to integrate metabolomics, proteomics, and genomics data from large-scale population studies for pathway discovery in cardiometabolic disease.
Proteomics and metabolomics profiling
We are fortunate to work in close collaboration with several multi-disciplinary groups from large population studies, as well as smaller perturbational exercise, diet, and drug studies to develop and assess the technical strengths and weaknesses of state-of-the-art affinity based proteomic and mass-spectrometry-based metabolomic platforms and how these data can best be used for biomarker and biological insight.
Clinical Research
The Benson lab is dedicated to advancing all stages of medication development in Preventive Cardiology. In addition to our goal of discovering new pharmacological targets in the treatment and prevention of cardiometabolic disease, the lab is dedicated to advancing the delivery and development of currently available medications in preventive cardiology. Dr. Benson participates as a site PI in phase 3 clinical trials and leads several quality improvement studies aimed at improving patient accessibility to lipid lowering, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, and nephroprotective medications.
Team
A Team-Based Approach
We are a diverse group of students, technicians, research assistants, biostatisticians, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, medical residents, and clinicians who are dedicated to learning from our science, our patients, and each other in order to further our mission.
We value creativity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strive to create an environment that is fun and supportive.
We have backgrounds in basic molecular biology, cell biology, and animal model systems — as well as biostatistics, bioinformatics, clinical research, and medicine and are fortunate to work with a highly multidisciplinary group of close collaborators.