The 2022 Sabri Ülker Center Annual Report highlights our most recent publications, NIH grants, a recently launched clinical trial, and some of our lab members.
Obesity alters molecular architecture of liver cells; repairing structure reverses metabolic disease
Cells use their molecular architecture to regulate their metabolic functions, and repairing diseased cells’ architecture to a healthier state can also repair metabolism, according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers. The study used multiple computational platforms and high-resolution imaging with enhanced focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, to generate three-dimensional reconstructions of specialized structures, called organelles, inside cells and made a comparative analysis of organelle architecture and organization of liver cells from lean and obese samples. Through these analyses, the team determined that obesity leads to dramatic alterations in sub-cellular molecular architecture, particularly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an organelle involved in the creation and shaping of proteins and lipids. The study was published online on March 9, 2022, in Nature.
Annual Report 2021
Our 2021 Annual Report highlights the Sabri Ülker Symposium on Metabolism and Life, our collaboration with Refik Anadol at the Venice Biennale, and more.
Annual Report 2020
This sixth annual report of the Sabri Ülker Center’s progress includes some important scientific developments, publication highlights, profiles of some of our newest lab members, and two new affiliated faculty members.
Newly identified hormone may be a critical driver of type 1 and type 2 diabetes
A newly discovered hormone named fabkin helps regulate metabolism and may play an important role in the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, according to research led by the Sabri Ülker Center for Metabolic Research at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study showed blood levels of fabkin were abnormally high in mice and human patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that blocking the activity of fabkin prevented the development of both forms of diabetes in the animals. The study was published December 8, 2021, in Nature.
Annual Report 2019
The Sabri Ülker Center for Nutrient, Genetic, and Metabolic Research is mid-way through the first decade of discovery made possible by the generosity of the Ülker family and Foundation, and we are excited by the ongoing contribution of our laboratory to the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie chronic metabolic diseases.
Dr. Hotamışlıgil named among most highly cited international researchers in 2019
“Highly Cited Researchers” from Clarivate Analytics is an annual list recognizing influential researchers in the sciences and social sciences from around the world. In 2019, fewer than 6,300, or 0.1%, of the world’s researchers, across 21 research fields, have earned this exclusive distinction. The list of Highly Cited Researchers 2019 identifies researchers at over 1,200 institutions across more than 60 countries.
What Have We Been Up To?
The Hotamışlıgil Lab and Sabri Ülker Center have had a busy few months! Lab members hit the road to attend Keystone Symposium in Vancouver: In April, many current and previous lab members attended the Keystone Symposia for Immunometabolism, Metaflammation, and Metabolic Diseases held in Vancouver. Dr. Hotamışlıgil was one of the three conference organizers. Hotamışlıgil Lab postdoctoral fellows and alumni had the chance to present exciting research findings during the…
Research Assistant’s Experience in the Hotamışlıgil Lab
Learn more about the scientists in the Hotamışlıgil Lab and Sabri Ülker Center, what drew them to science, the lab, and how the experience has impacted them. In this interview, Research Assistant, Erika Cagampan talks with Dr. Renata Gonçalves about what drew her to pursue science and medicine, how she decided to join the Hotamışlıgil Lab, and what she has learned from her experience over the last three years.…
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Could a popular food additive raise the risk for obesity and diabetes?
Researchers from the Hotamışlıgil Lab and the Sabri Ülker Center at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Sheba Medical Center in Israel have shown that propionate, a short-chain fatty acid and common food additive in baked goods and artificial flavoring, induces hyperglycemia, weight gain, and insulin resistance. Consumption of propionate appears to increase levels of several hormones that are associated with risk of…
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