Ajay Chawla
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Medicine - Endocrinology/Gerontology/Metab
- Assistant Professor (By courtesy), Chemical and Systems Biology
- Member, Bio-X
Contact Information
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Clinical Offices
Schedule appointmentEndocrinology-Academic Office 300 Pasteur Dr S025 MC 5103 Stanford, CA 94305 Tel Work (650) 723-6961 Fax (650) 725-7085
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Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 724-4022Not for medical emergencies or patient use
Professional Snapshot
Clinical Focus
- Endocrinology / Diabetes
- Endocrinology and Metabolism
Honors and Awards
- Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation (2008)
- Culpepper Medical Sciences Scholar, Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships (2004)
- Rita Allen Scholar, Rita Allen Foundation (2003)
Education & Community
Professional Education
- Fellowship: UCSD Medical Center, CA (2000)
- Board Certification: Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine (1999)
- Residency: UCSD Medical Center, CA (1998)
- Internship: UCSD Medical Center, CA (1997)
- Medical Education: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, PA (1996)
Postdoctoral Advisees
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Scientific Focus
Research Interests
Nuclear receptors are a large family of ligand-dependent transcription factors that regulate various aspects of vertebrate biology, including development, homeostasis and differentiation. A subset of this superfamily, the adopted orphan receptors serve as the body’s lipid sensors and work together to maintain cellular lipid homeostasis. Since intake of excess dietary lipids has been epidemiologically linked to various human diseases (such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and impaired immunity), it is critical to understand the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the underlying physiologic and pathophysiologic processes. Towards this goal, our laboratory studies the function of two adopted orphan receptors, PPAR gamma and PPAR delta, in macrophages and dendritic cells. We use a combination of techniques and tools, including molecular biology, transgenic and knockout mice, stem cells, genomics, and mouse models of disease, to dissect the receptor signaling pathways that control macrophage and dendritic cell activation.
Publications
- Alternative M2 activation of Kupffer cells by PPARdelta ameliorates obesity-induced insulin resistance. "Cell Metab" 2008 ; 6 496-507
- Macrophage-specific PPARgamma controls alternative activation and improves insulin resistance. "Nature" 2007 ; 7148 1116-20
- Oxidative metabolism and PGC-1beta attenuate macrophage-mediated inflammation. "Cell Metab" 2006 ; 1 13-24
- Quantitative expansion of ES cell-derived myeloid progenitors capable of differentiating into macrophages. "J Leukoc Biol" 2007 ; 3 711-9
- Role of PPARgamma in macrophage biology and atherosclerosis. "Trends Endocrinol Metab" 2004 ; 10 500-5
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