The overaching theme of my research interest is understanding OXIDATIVE STRESS IN DISEASE PROGRESSION.

METABOLIC DISEASES (Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD)
NAFLD is an impending epidemic that affects 25% of the population worldwide. There is no FDA-approved treatment for NASH. Oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. We have developed a novel NAFLD model that recapitulates the various transitory stages of human NAFLD and extrahepatic comorbidities. We are currently investigating the relationship between gut microbes and the redox imbalance in the liver.

TARGETING METASTASIS
Metastasis accounts for more than 90% of cancer mortality. Once metastasis occurs, surgical excision of the primary tumor no longer guarantees disease free survival and the probability of cancer relapse in distal organs increases significantly. Our findings have established several paradigms in oxidative stress-driven metastasis. Our current interest aims to decipher the mechanisms that regulate and coordinate the different networks during metastasis.

WOUND HEALING
Poor healing wounds represent a silent epidemic that affects a large fraction of the world population and carries a heavy socioeconomic burden. A balanced redox state is critical for proper healing. A highly oxidative wound microenvironment, often observed in diabetic wounds, delays wound healing.
Effective management of these problems will require better understanding of the healing process to allow the creation of a salubrious environment conducive to healing. Our lab has worked extensively to understand the interplay among different cell types, contributing to redox imbalance, in poor healing wounds.