Dr Maria Chondronikola

I have a longstanding interest in understanding the mechanisms involved in the regulation of metabolic function and energy homeostasis in people in health and disease. The overall goal of my research is two-fold to: 1) understand the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of the obesity related metabolic complications (insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, hepatic steatosis) and 2) develop/evaluate interventions (nutritional, lifestyle, pharmacological, etc.) aiming to improve metabolic function and determine their underlying mechanisms.

My primary research involves the use of both basic and clinical research tools to evaluate cellular, regional, and whole-body substrate metabolism to test physiologically and clinically relevant hypotheses in people in vivo.

Our current research focuses on:

1. the role of adipose tissue function in health and disease

2. the effect of the temporal distribution of caloric intake and other circadian factors in metabolic function in people that are high risk for developing metabolic disease

3. the mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of obesity and its related metabolic perturbations in humans