Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues in his lab are primarily interested in the relationship between dysregulation of lipid metabolism and the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases such as obesity, fatty liver, insulin-resistant diabetes and cancer.

Fatty acids (FAs) are the basic building blocks of membrane lipids and the most efficient fuel for energy production. While a constant supply of FAs is required to maintain cellular homeostasis, FAs in excess can disrupt membrane structures, generate harmful metabolites and perturb the cellular redox balance. Protection of cells against the so-called lipotoxicity is dependent on the efficient storage of FAs as triglycerides (TGs), a process that requires a carefully controlled balance between synthesis of TGs from FAs and lipolytic breakdown of TGs into FAs.

By employing cutting-edge biochemical, cell biological and animal metabolic phenotyping techniques, Dr. Liu's lab strives to gain a deeper understanding of how lipolysis is regulated on cellular, tissue and whole body levels. Model systems include cultured and freshly isolated primary cells, tissue explants, and genetically engineered animals.