Objective

To perform cutting-edge biomedical research on the development of metabolic syndrome and chronic inflammatory liver diseases like nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in an underlying condition of obesity. The laboratory has special research emphasis on the effects of environmental toxins in affecting the above disease developments and pathogenesis.

Projects

1. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease research (funded by the National Institutes of health) 

• Epidemiological studies involving human cohorts for the evaluation of incidences of obesity, metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and their associations with exposure to environmental toxins.
• Role of water disinfection by-products (eg BDCM), and microcystins in the progression of NAFLD
•  Rodent based studies to explore the molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis for metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

2. Gulf War illness research (funded by the Department of Defense and the Veterans Affairs, USA)

These preclinical studies are mainly aimed at the role of epigenetic modifications (DNA methylations and microRNAs) and pharmacological evaluations of several proteins of interest like Toll-like receptors (TLRs), Purinergic Receptors (P2Xs) and Ion Channels (TRPVs).