Emilyn Alejandro

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Credentials

PhD

Bio

As an undergraduate student at University of Washington-Seattle, working alongside Dr. Ake Lernmark deepened my interest in medical research. After graduating, I received a two-year medical research-training award at the NIH, where under Dr. Elise Kohn at NCI, I studied the signaling pathways and biological functions of granulin-epithelin precursor (GEP) in ovarian cancer. I completed my Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia in Dr. James D. Johnson's lab, focusing on the autocrine signaling mechanisms of insulin on β-cells. During my postdoctoral training with Dr. Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi at the University of Michigan, I gained extensive experience in β-cell development, in vivo metabolic phenotyping of diabetes models, and understanding how adverse intrauterine environments (e.g., maternal low-protein and high-fat diets) affect health.

Our current lab at UMN aims to understand how early life exposure influences susceptibility to obesity and diabetes, which are underlying causes of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Our lab’s long-term goal is to break the cycle of diabetes through a multi-pronged research approach focused on prevention and cure.

Research Summary

Obesity and Diabetes are complex diseases that significantly impact many individuals and impose substantial costs on our society.  As a team, our lab aims to understand how placental insufficiency induced by factors such as maternal obesity, inflammation, and diabetes affects offspring's beta-cell function and susceptibility to metabolic diseases. In particular, we investigate the roles of nutrient proteins like mTOR, AMPK, and OGT in beta-cell development, function, and regeneration using techniques ranging from epigenetics and biochemistry to in vivo phenotyping of glucose metabolism. Finally, I strive to provide an exceptional training and mentoring environment for my trainees, preparing them to achieve their full potential and tackle medical research challenges.

Research Interests

• Placental Biology
• Placental Inflammation
• Pancreatic Islet Biology
• Insulin Resistance, Obesity, Diabetes and Metabolism