Welcome to the ENGIN Lab
at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Our laboratory is dedicated to uncovering the underlying causes of type 1 diabetes as well as metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes with the ultimate goal of finding preventative and therapeutic regiments for these diseases.
Through studies in cell culture and transgenic mouse model systems, as well as human islets and taking a multi-disciplinary approach combining biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, imaging, single cell -omics technology, bioinformatics, immunology as well as pharmacological tools we aim to elucidate the role of stress responses, aberrant interorganellar, and intercellular communications in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
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Organelle Dysfunction and Cellular Stress in Type 1 Diabetes
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a dynamic organelle that plays a key role in the unfolded protein response (UPR). The study of ER membrane proteins, and the UPR, in relation to cell survival, in conditions of pathological stress caused by type 1 diabetes, is an area of active research in our lab.
Beta Cell-Immune Cell Crosstalk
The development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) involves a complex interaction between pancreatic β-cells and immune cells. β-cells may play a critical role in orchestrating this communication. Our lab is interested in determining the molecular mechanisms by which β-cell ER stress impacts this crosstalk in development of T1D.
Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Obesity is a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes. During obesity, sphingolipids accumulate within insulin-resistant tissues including the pancreatic β-cells. We investigate the function and regulation of a novel sphingolipid biosynthesis regulator, Ormdl3, in β-cells and under obesogenic and diabetogenic conditions.