We study how cells and organisms respond normally and pathologically to fluctuations in nutrient levels. This is not only fascinating to us from a biological standpoint but also a medical need due to the alarming increase in obesity worldwide. We employ biochemistry, proteomics, metabolomics and fundamentally mouse genetics to understand mechanistically the association of elevated levels of nutrients with disease states as cancer, diabetes, and the process of aging.

 

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Main aims:

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-Understand how nutrients and hormonal cues control cellular and organismal metabolism.

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-Explore the interplay of cancer cells and the nutritional and metabolic state of the organism.

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-Investigate the impact of the nutrient-sensing pathway upstream of mTOR in tumor development.

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-Develop novel genetic tools to study cell growth, anabolism and proliferation in vivo.