Devesha Kulkarni, PhD

Devesha Kulkarni, PhD

Assistant Professor in Medicine; Gastroenterology

Research Interest

Metabolic Regulation

Islet Biology / Immunology


Category(ies) of Research

Basic

Translational


Descriptor of Research

There is growing appreciation that the gut microbiota contributes not only to obesity, but also metabolic diseases such as type-2 diabetes. My goal is to establish a research program investigating the mechanisms by which changes in the gut microbial community contribute to metabolic diseases. I have developed a model to investigate how colonizing specific pathogen-free mice with fecal specimens from our cohort of individuals who have been characterized based on age, sex, body mass composition and metabolic assessments. Using the unique cohort and the novel colonization model, we have demonstrated that independent of weight gain, microbiota donors with metabolic alterations drive altered metabolic responses in mice. This highly translational model allows us to dissect deeper the mechanisms by which microbes residing in the gut drive immune cell changes and contribute to metabolic alterations at extra-intestinal sites. Additionally, this model gives us the ability to dissect the specific microbes that drive these alterations. Future studies will aim at identifying mechanism that help us reverse these metabolic alterations.


My Bibliography