Andrew Lutkewitte, PhD

Research Interests

My primary interests are understanding the dynamic regulation of adipose tissue lipid storage and hepatic lipid accumulation and how these processes are directly linked to disease outcome. My PhD training in whole animal physiology in the context of obesity and diabetes have given me a breath of knowledge for which I built upon throughout my postdoc. My dissertation work involved discovering the molecular mechanisms behind epidermal growth factor signaling and survival during metabolic stress in liver. As growth and metabolism coalesce, my next stage of training in Dr. Brian Finck’s laboratory is to gain a fuller understanding of hepatic metabolism, with a heavy emphasis on lipids. Thus far, I have evaluated the metabolic response to fasting, adipose lipolysis, obesity and hepatic lipid accumulation, as well as the role of phosphatidic acid in injury following acetaminophen overdose. These diverse areas of interest have given me a strong base in intermediary metabolism with particular focus on lipid synthetic pathways in liver and adipose tissue.

Specialty

Nutritional Science