Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
The research conducted in Dr. Finck’s laboratory examines the molecular control of fatty acid metabolism with special emphasis on obesity-related abnormalities in liver, heart, and skeletal muscle lipid metabolism. Dr. Finck is particularly interested in the role that nuclear receptor transcription factors and associated proteins play in regulating these metabolic pathways. To this end, Dr. Finck’s lab employs a variety of techniques including molecular biological approaches, gene expression profiling (microarray), cell culture-based systems, and transgenic mouse models. Given the emerging epidemic of obesity, the long-term goal of these studies is to identify novel therapeutic target pathways for treatment of obesity-related diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease.