Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

2010-present Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

2010-2012 Visiting Faculty, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany

2006-2010 Group Leader, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany

POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING

2002-2006 UCSF, San Francisco, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Walter: “Homeostasis of the plasma membrane”.

EDUCATION

2002 Dr. rer. nat (Ph.D) in biology, summa cum laude from EMBL/Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich

2000 Paterson research Institute, Manchester

1998 Diploma in Biology (Dipl. Biol.) from Ludwig-Maximilans University, Munich, with distinction (1,0).

1997 Southern Methodist University, Dallas

Topic: The Many Phases of Fat: Cell Biology of Lipid Droplets

Most cells store excess metabolic energy in the form of fat that is stored in cytosolic Lipid Droplets (LDs). LD function at critical points of cellular physiology: Not surprisingly therefore, LDs are involved in many common diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis and obesity. Despite their almost universal presence and links to common human pathologies, many basic questions about LDs are unclear. LDs thus provide both great challenges and opportunities for cell biology. Within this field, we specifically address how lipid droplets are built, how they grow, how they contribute to the organization of biochemical pathways and how lipids get stored and utilized there. Building on cell biological discoveries, we connect mechanistic studies of LDs with their important functions in disease.

Venue: Room143, New Biology Building, THU

Time: Dec. 18 (Tuesday), 2012; 16:30

Host: Prof. Peng Li