Transcriptional Regulation of Metabolic Genes/ Dr. Neri Minsky

Our lab studies molecular mechanisms and biological processes related to the metabolic response to environmental changes such as fasting (caloric restriction), cold exposure and physical exercise. During these processes physiological adaptations occur at the systemic, tissue and cellular levels that are driven by changes in the regulation of relevant genes encoding proteins necessary to cope with those environmental changes. Our work focuses on transcriptional regulators, such as the PGC-1 transcriptional co-activators, aiming to better understand the cellular and systemic response to environmental cues requiring metabolic changes in liver and muscle. Our work is relevant to understanding normal physiology but also to understanding pathophysiological conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cancer.