Lipid Metabolism

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.

2024/2025 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.

Click here for Zoom information (WUSTL Key required)
  • August 9: Johnathan Romero (Cashikar lab, WashU Psychiatry) “25-hydroxycholesterol promotes brain cytokine production and leukocyte infiltration in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation“
  • CANCELLED – September 13
  • October 11: Ciyang Wang (Cruchaga lab, WashU Psychiatry) “Multi-tissue metabolomics identify disrupted processes in Alzheimer’s Disease”
  • November 8: Travis Tabor (Holtzman lab, WashU Neurology) “Elucidating roles of microglial lipid droplets in neurodegeneration”
  • December 13: Yun Chen (Holtzman lab, WashU Neurology) “From the protective APOE3ch variant to APOE-associated endosomal/lysosomal trafficking: Implications for lipid metabolism and Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology”
  • January 10: Joshua Kulas (Indiana Biosciences Research Institute)
  • February 14: Michael Strickland (Randolph lab, WashU Pathology & Immunology)
  • March 14: Ayoung Kim (Randolph lab, WashU Pathology & Immunology)
  • April 11: Inema Orukari (An lab, WashU Radiology)
  • May 9: Kathleen Schoch (WashU Neurology)

For previous years’ presentations, check out the archives link below.

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

Meeting archives
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)
Ikbal Sencan-Egilmez (WashU Radiology)
Ananth Vellimana (WashU Neurosurgery)