Prashant Rajbhandari, PhD
- ASSISTANT PROFESSOR | Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease
Research Topics:
Adipose, Diabetes, MetabolismLaboratory of Dr. Prashant Rajbhandari uses molecular biology, biochemistry, and genomic science to study lipid metabolism. Dr. Rajbhandari completed his doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he elucidated how structural changes in the unstructured region of Estrogen Receptor-alpha increases its ligand-independent transcriptional function to promote drug-resistance in breast cancer. An intriguing relation between metabolism and cancer led him to his pursuit of postdoctoral studies in the Lab of Dr. Peter Tontonoz, MD PhD in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, his interests were broadly focused in understanding lipid metabolism, particularly in adipose tissues and how it affects adipocytes, hepatic, and cardiovascular function. He discovered immune-adipocyte crosstalk in the adipose microenvironment that function to limit mitochondrial respiration, energy expenditure, lipid mobilization and block thermogenic transcriptional program in the adipose tissue. His postdoctoral works are published in Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Metabolism, Journal of Clinical Investigation, eLIFE, Cell Metabolism, and Nature Chemical Biology. His work has been recognized as meritorious by the NIH: he received an NRSA F32 individual postdoctoral training grant as well as a prestigious K99/R00 Transition to Independence Award recently to support his work from NIDDK. His lab in DOMI at Mt. Sinai will focus on identifying and studying novel factors that control lipid metabolism using combination of genetics, cell biology, biochemistry and Next Gen sequencing.
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
May 2019-present: Assistant Professor, DOMI, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai. NY
Oct.2013-Mar.2019: Postdoc, HHMI, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
2008-2013: PhD/Research Assistant, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
2007-2008: Research Technician, Life Science institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
2006-2007: Scientist I, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Pfizer, Ann Arbor, MI
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
2018-2023: NIH/NIDDK Pathway to Independence DK114571
2014-2017: NIH/NIDDK NRSA Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32 DK104484), UCLA
2012-2013: NIH/NCI (T32 CA009135), UW-Madison
2009-2010: NIH/NIGMS (T32 GM008688), UW-Madison
2008-2009: Herman I. Shapiro Graduate Fellowship, School of Medicine, UW-Madison
2008: Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Fellowship, University of Michigan
2005: MIT Research Fellowship, MIT, Cambridge, MA
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL HONORS
2018: UCLA Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Postdoctoral Research Nominee
2017: NIH/NIDDK 1R13DK104611-03 Keystone Symposia Scholarship
2012: Best Talk, Great Lakes Nuclear Receptor Conference, Northwestern University, IL
2012: Endocrine Society Award, Northwestern University, IL
2011: Molecular Pharmacology Annual Symposium on Signal Transduction Award, UW- Madison
2012: Vilas Conference Award (UW-Madison), Keystone Symposia at Whistler, BC
2010: Endocrine Society Award, Great Lakes Nuclear Receptor Conference, University of Michigan
2008: Herman I. Shapiro Graduate Fellow, School of Medicine, UW-Madison
2006: Summa Cum Laude, Olivet College
Education
BA, Olivet College
PhD, University of Wisconsin
Postdoc, University of California-Los Angeles ; Howard Hughes Medical Institute
New topic
Rajbhandari Lab is broadly interested in 1) Immune cell regulation of lipid metabolism, 2) developmental process of brown/beige and white fat, and 3) crosstalk between adipose and other metabolic tissues (esp. liver) in the setting of obesity. To address these topics, the lab uses cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, next-gen sequencing (ChIP-, RNA-, ATAC-seq), animal model, single cell/nuclei RNA sequencing, and imaging. The lab seeks to further advance the understanding of human adiposity in collaboration with St. Luke’s Hospital. The broader significance of the work in Rajbhandari Lab is that obesity is linked to various diseases and by studying how cellular and molecular pathways are perturbed in the setting of obesity might provide better understanding of this disease. Visit the Rajbhandari Lab
Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device and biotechnology companies to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their relationships with such companies.
Dr. Rajbhandari did not report having any of the following types of financial relationships with industry during 2022 and/or 2023: consulting, scientific advisory board, industry-sponsored lectures, service on Board of Directors, participation on industry-sponsored committees, equity ownership valued at greater than 5% of a publicly traded company or any value in a privately held company. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.
Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.