Program Directors: Christian Vaisse and Mark Hellerstein

The objective of the UCSF DERC Program in Metabolism, Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes is to promote the basic and clinical research that will lead to successful new therapeutic approaches for obesity and insulin resistance.

The UCSF DERC Program in Metabolism, Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes focused squarely on the phenomenon of obesity and insulin resistance – its pathophysiology, prevention and treatment. In light of recent progress in understanding the pathophysiology of obesity and insulin resistance the central scientific themes of the program focus on the central control of energy homeostasis and on the relationship between the adipose tissue and insulin resistance.

1. Molecular aspects of energy metabolism and adipocyte biology
   A first  group of investigator includes several basic researchers (John Baxter, Ira Goldfine, Fred Schaufele, Peter Kushner, Marc Hellerstein, Christian Vaisse and Jack Youngren) whose research focuses directly on novel therapeutic molecules, research techniques and disordered pathways relevant to obesity and type 2 diabetes. These investigators will strongly benefit from interactions with the other researchers in the program which allows them to translate their research towards animal models and clinical trials.
   
2. Physiology of obesity in animal models
   A number of UCSF investigators are using whole organisms as model systems for the study of obesity and type 2 diabetes. A major focus of this group of investigator is the central control of energy metabolism and the hypothalamic integration of peripheral signals controlling body weight and energy expenditure. Indeed, many of the central neuropeptide pathways that are therapeutic targets for obesity are being studied in rodents by members of the program.
   
3. Human metabolism, genetics and interventions
   A third group of investigators includes clinical researchers and basic scientists whose studies directly involve human subjects (i.e., patient-oriented research). A broad array of research tools are brought to this task, including molecular genetic analyses of phenotypically interesting populations, novel stable isotope-mass spectrometric techniques for measuring biochemical events in vivo, measurements of body composition, energy expenditure and food intake, metabolic ward studies of insulin sensitivity, nutrient balances and endocrine secretory patterns, tissue sampling and biochemical or molecular genetic measurements, administration of pharmacologic, hormonal or nutritional therapeutic agents, and many others approaches.
   

Program members:

John Baxter	Neal Benowitz
Thomas Bersot	Farid Chehab
Mark Christiansen	Mary Dallman
Robert Farese	Kenneth Feingold
Lawrence Fisher	Stephen Gitelman
Ira Goldfine	Carl Grunfeld
Peter Havel	Mark Hellerstein
Wen-Chi Hsue	Holly Ingraham
Robert Lustig	Joan Lo
Kathy Mulligan	Umesh Masharani
Lou Reichardt	Martha Nolte
Morrie Schambelan	Fred Schaufele
Paul Simpson	Jean-Marc Schwarz
Laurence Tecott	Taylor, Robert N.
Jack Youngren	Vaisse, Christian