Alyssa
H. Hasty, Ph.D.
Professor of Molecular Physiology &
Biophysics
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Research Specialty:
Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders
Research Description:
We study how obesity impacts health. The growing worldwide
obesity
epidemic is frequently linked to hyperlipidemia, inflammation,
and insulin resistance leading to increased risk of diabetes and
cardiovascular disease. The long-term goal of our laboratory
is to determine mechanisms by which obesity increases risk for and
pathophysiological consequences of these devastating
diseases. Macrophages are part of the innate immune
system that infiltrate white adipose tissue (fat) in obese rodents
and humans, and produce most of the inflammatory cytokines and
chemokines secreted from adipose tissue. In addition, their
presence has been shown to be temporally associated with the
development of insulin resistance. Our current research focus
is threefold: to determine mechanisms by which macrophages
accumulate in adipose tissue, to determine the role of
resident macrophages in normal adipose tissue function, and to
determine how other immune cells like eosinophils also contribute
to adipose tissue function.
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Dr. Hasty discusses research in immunometabolism