Overview
I am a Senior Research Instructor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, and I have been a member of the NORC research base for more than 20 years. My professional career has been dedicated to facilitating nutrition and obesity research in the NORC through my work in building infrastructure, providing technical expertise, and training faculty, fellows, and students, in tools and techniques used for in vitro and in vivo metabolic phenotyping. I have extensive experience working in the team science environment and coordinating collaborations with researchers from a broad range of disciplines. I am currently a co-investigator on a U54 team science grant (PI-Kohrt), an R01 project grant (MPIs- MacLean, Catenacci, Kabos), and the lead PI on a preclinical contract with a nutraceutical company developing obesity therapeutics. I have over 50 publications, many of which have involved the coordination of nutrition and obesity research in the EBA and MCA cores. As Associate Director of the MCA core, I will oversee the maintenance, training, and use of the equipment and facilities for in vitro metabolic phenotyping and mitochondrial function assays, which includes high resolution respirometry with the Oroboros O2k, high throughput cellular respiration/glycolysis with the Agilent Seahorse, and live cell imaging with the Agilent Cytation1. I have extensive experience with this equipment and in cellular and mitochondrial bioenergetics. I have served in this position helping researchers with these assays for the last 5 years. My track record of success in this leadership role can be assessed in the metrics of productivity presented in the MCA core section of this proposal. As Managing Director of the EBA core’s animal facilities, I will oversee the small animal metabolic phenotyping facilities, equipment, and services. I have more than 15 years’ experience overseeing preclinical metabolic phenotyping in the EBA core and have served in this position for over 10 years. I have been intimately involved in the establishment, operation, and expansion of the NORC’s metabolic monitoring systems, body composition equipment, and the BioDAQ feed monitoring systems NORC preclinical researchers. In 2022, I was the PI of an institutional SIRC equipment grant to obtain a new EchoMRI for the EBA core, which has been integrated into the EBA cost center that I currently oversee. More recently, I secured funding and partnerships that double the EBA capacities for EchoMRI body composition measurements, BioDAQ meal patterning measurements, and BioDAQ computerized gate-controlled feed interventions. In the upcoming cycle I will advance as an Associate Director of the EBA core, when Dr. MacLean steps down to devote more effort to his role as the NORC Director. Given my background, experience, and track record of success in supporting our research base, I am best qualified and ideally positioned to take on this leadership position to oversee all preclinical services in the NORC’s EBA core.
