Proteoglycans and Metabolic Disorders

Research in the laboratory focuses on evaluating the impact of glycans, in particular proteoglycans and human milk oligosaccharides, on hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular diseases are primarily caused by complications of atherosclerosis, resulting in heart attack, chest pain (angina), and stroke. Atherosclerosis is a disease initiated by focal infiltration and retention of lipoproteins in the subendothelial matrix of arteries due to a combination of aggregation and interaction with proteoglycans produced by the arteries.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include blood lipid levels, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, bad diet, hypertension, and family history.

Despite significant therapeutic advances, cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death today. Obesity and diabetes have become a worldwide epidemic and are partly responsible for setting back progress made on cardiovascular disease risk-factor prevention.

Using reverse genetics approaches, we want to determine the in vivo impact of proteoglycans and human milk oligosaccharides on hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity. The lab is also exploiting the natural mammalian glycan repertoire for therapeutic and prognostic purposes to help reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and its detrimental consequences.

Currently, we are looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow or Physician-Scientists Studying Glycobiology in Lipid Metabolism, Obesity, and Cardiovascular Disease.