Organizer: Anil Cashikar

Lipid metabolism in the brain has been identified as highly impactful for neuroinflammation. It is well known that apolipoprotein E (ApoE), the main lipid carrier protein in the brain, is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Dysfunction in lipid efflux and lipid storage pathways appear to be strongly associated with inflammatory activation of glia. Targeting specific aspects of the brain lipid metabolism may offer therapeutic opportunities. The new Lipid Metabolism Research Group gathers those who have made pioneering contributions in understanding the connection between lipid metabolism, immune activation and neurological/psychiatric disorders, and others who would like to know more about these contributions, better understand the role of lipid metabolism in health and disease, exchange ideas, methodology and reagents and explore opportunities for identification of existing resources and development of new resources.

2024 Spring Schedule

2nd Friday of the month
2:30p – 3:30p
Zoom conference

For virtual meeting information email the Hope Center or click the Zoom links button below.

  • January 12: Birol Cabukusta (Leiden University, The Netherlands) “A Genetic Toolbox to Study Intracellular Lipid Trafficking”
  • February 9: Paola Gamba (University of Turin, Italy) “Brain cholesterol dysmetabolism: A key feature in Alzheimer’s disease”
  • March 8: Rik van der Kant (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) “Cholesterol dyshomeostasis as a driver of Alzheimer’s Disease”
  • April 12: Irina Pikuleva (Case Western Reserve University) “Pharmacologic CYP46A1 activation by low dose anti-HIV drug efavirenz: from purified enzyme to mice and humans”
  • May 10: Michael Strickland (Randolph lab, WashU Pathology & Immunology)
  • June 14: Andrew Roth (Philips lab, WashU Medicine)

All meetings are listed on the ONR Calendar of the Office of Neuroscience Research.

Lipid Metabolism Group: Affiliated faculty members

Anil Cashikar (WashU Psychiatry)
Jonathan Cooper (WashU Pediatrics)
Carlos Cruchaga (WashU Psychiatry)
Albert (Gus) Davis (WashU Neurology)
Abhinav Diwan (WashU Medicine)
Alex Evers (WashU Anesthesiology)
David Ford (Saint Louis University)
Song Hu (WashU Biomedical Engineering)
Laura Ibanez (WashU Psychiatry)
Joseph Ippolito (WashU Radiology)
Celeste Karch (WashU Psychiatry)
David Kast (WashU Cell Biology & Physiology)
Erik Musiek (WashU Neurology)
Grace Niziolek (WashU Surgery)
Jennifer Philips (WashU Medicine)
Gwendalyn Randolph (WashU Pathology & Immunology)
Daniela Salvemini (Saint Louis University)
Clay Semenkovich (WashU Medicine)
Ananth Vellimana (WashU Neurosurgery)