Emilio Mottillo , PhD

Biography

The overall goal of our research program is to understand how cells store and release lipids and how this process is dysregulated in various metabolic diseases. Cells safely store lipids in organelles called lipid droplets. Our lab investigates the protein interactions that occur on the surface of lipid droplets and how the disruption of these interactions can lead to cardiometabolic diseases such as fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. Another major interest is to understand how cells sense lipids and maintain energy homeostasis. By answering these questions we hope to identify targets and develop treatments for cardiometabolic disease. To answer these questions in the lab we utilize a multi-faceted approach that includes molecular biology, cell biology and animal physiology and cutting edge techniques such as real-time imaging of lipid metabolites, super-resolution microscopy and Crispr-Cas9 genome editing.