Rajan Sah, MD, PhD

Research Interest

Metabolic Regulation

Islet Biology/Immunology

Prevention/Control

Complications

Category(ies) of Research

Basic

Translational

Descriptor of Research

I am a physician-scientist cardiologist in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. A major goal of my laboratory has been to study the function of novel ion channels; specifically TRP channels (including TRPV3, TRPV4 andTRPM7), and the recently identified volume regulatory anion channel SWELL1 (LRRC8a) as they relate to growth and metabolism. To do this we combine cellular electrophysiology, calcium imaging and novel genetic techniques (including transient and stable lenti/AAVshRNA-mediated knockdown and CRISPR-mediated knockout) in cultured cells (mouse and human) and freshly isolated, primary adipocytes, hepatocytes, skeletal myocytes, endothelial cells and pancreatic β-cells. Genetic loss-of-function (CRISPR-mediated and conventional) mouse models for these ion channels are also used to examine their functions in vivo and in disease settings.

PubMed