Ajay Chawla

Clinical Focus

• Endocrinology / Diabetes
• Endocrinology and Metabolism

Honors and Awards

• Pioneer Award, National Institutes of Health (2009)
• Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation (2008)
• Culpepper Medical Sciences Scholar, Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships (2004)
• Rita Allen Scholar, Rita Allen Foundation (2003)

Professional Education

• Board Certification: Endocrinology and Metabolism, American Board of Internal Medicine (2000)
• UCSD Medical Center (2000) CA
• Board Certification: Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine (1999)
• UCSD Medical Center (1998) CA
• UCSD Medical Center (1997) CA
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1996) PA
• Ph.D., University of Pennyslvania Physiology (1996)
• M.D., University of Pennsylvania Medicine (1996)
• B.Sc., Johns Hopkins University Biomedial Engineering (1989)

Postdoctoral Advisees

• Jose Heredia, Hani Jouihan

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Cancer Biology
• Immunology
• Medicine

Industry Relationships

Stanford is committed to ethical and transparent interactions with our industry partners. It is our policy to disclose payments of $5,000 or more, equity valued at $5,000 or more in a publicly traded company, or any equity in a privately held company, to physicians and scientists employed by Stanford University from companies or other commercial entities with which they interact as part of their professional activities. 

• Consulting: Genetech; Dainippon Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals;

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

• PPAR-delta senses and orchestrates clearance of apoptotic cells to promote tolerance. Mukundan L,  Odegaard JI, Morel CR, Heredia JE, Mwangi JW, Ricardo-Gonzalez RR, Goh YP, Eagle AR, Dunn SE, Awakuni JU, Nguyen KD, Steinman L, Michie SA, Chawla A.  Nat Med.  2009; 15 (11): 1266-72
• Mechanisms of macrophage activation in obesity-induced insulin resistance. Odegaard JI,  Chawla A.  Nat Clin Pract Endocrinol Metab.  2008; 4 (11): 619-26
• Alternative M2 activation of Kupffer cells by PPARdelta ameliorates obesity-induced insulin resistance. Odegaard JI,  Ricardo-Gonzalez RR, Red Eagle A, Vats D, Morel CR, Goforth MH, Subramanian V, Mukundan L, Ferrante AW, Chawla A.  Cell Metab.  2008; 7 (6): 496-507
• Macrophage-specific PPARgamma controls alternative activation and improves insulin resistance. Odegaard JI,  Ricardo-Gonzalez RR, Goforth MH, Morel CR, Subramanian V, Mukundan L, Red Eagle A, Vats D, Brombacher F, Ferrante AW, Chawla A.  Nature.  2007; 447 (7148): 1116-20
• Oxidative metabolism and PGC-1beta attenuate macrophage-mediated inflammation. Vats D,  Mukundan L, Odegaard JI, Zhang L, Smith KL, Morel CR, Wagner RA, Greaves DR, Murray PJ, Chawla A.  Cell Metab.  2006; 4 (1): 13-24
• A role for GPRx, a novel GPR3/6/12-related G-protein coupled receptor, in the maintenance of meiotic arrest in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Ríos-Cardona D,  Ricardo-González RR, Chawla A, Ferrell JE.  Dev Biol.  2008; 317 (1): 380-8
• Quantitative expansion of ES cell-derived myeloid progenitors capable of differentiating into macrophages. Odegaard JI,  Vats D, Zhang L, Ricardo-Gonzalez R, Smith KL, Sykes DB, Kamps MP, Chawla A.  J Leukoc Biol.  2007; 81 (3): 711-9
• Role of PPARgamma in macrophage biology and atherosclerosis. Zhang L,  Chawla A.  Trends Endocrinol Metab.  2004; 15 (10): 500-5
• PPARdelta is a very low-density lipoprotein sensor in macrophages. Chawla A,  Lee CH, Barak Y, He W, Rosenfeld J, Liao D, Han J, Kang H, Evans RM.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.  2003; 100 (3): 1268-73
• Transcriptional repression of atherogenic inflammation: modulation by PPARdelta. Lee CH,  Chawla A, Urbiztondo N, Liao D, Boisvert WA, Evans RM, Curtiss LK.  Science.  2003; 302 (5644): 453-7
• Nuclear receptors and lipid physiology: opening the X-files. Chawla A,  Repa JJ, Evans RM, Mangelsdorf DJ.  Science.  2001; 294 (5548): 1866-70
• A PPAR gamma-LXR-ABCA1 pathway in macrophages is involved in cholesterol efflux and atherogenesis. Chawla A,  Boisvert WA, Lee CH, Laffitte BA, Barak Y, Joseph SB, Liao D, Nagy L, Edwards PA, Curtiss LK, Evans RM, Tontonoz P.  Mol Cell.  2001; 7 (1): 161-71
• PPAR-gamma dependent and independent effects on macrophage-gene expression in lipid metabolism and inflammation. Chawla A,  Barak Y, Nagy L, Liao D, Tontonoz P, Evans RM.  Nat Med.  2001; 7 (1): 48-52