Human Metabolism and Physiology Lab

Our Research

The Human Metabolism and Physiology Lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is involved in research projects and regularly produces peer-reviewed articles. The following is a sampling.

Current Projects

Resilience to Obesity in Carriers of Monogenic Obesity Mutations–A Study on the Underlying Mechanisms
Obesity is a major risk factor for chronic disease. In addition to our obesogenic lifestyle, people’s innate physiology/metabolism, encoded by their genomes, is another major factor that determines why some people gain weight more easily than others. Our research involves deep phenotyping of normal weight and obese individuals with varying monogenic carrier and polygenic risk status in order to reveal compensatory mechanisms (both genetic and non-genetic) that prevent weight gain and are not yet targeted for obesity prevention and treatment.

Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center
The Human Metabolism and Physiology Lab at Mount Sinai Morningside provides consultation and services for measurements of energy expenditure, body composition, and nutrition assessments for diabetes researchers in the New York City region.

Mechanisms Regulating Functional Heterogeneity of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues in Women
This project will address significant gaps in knowledge of the biology of the major subcutaneous human adipose tissues that determine fat distribution and metabolic health in women.

Light, Metabolic Syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease: A Non-pharmacological Approach  
The purpose of this project is to study light treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment patients to promote entrainment, reduce inflammation, and restore metabolic control.

Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study
This is a multi-center, randomized clinical trial to evaluate the relative long-term metabolic and clinical effects of four classes of drugs in combination with metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The Human Metabolism and Physiology Lab is a site for the study.

Multi-Level Supermarket Discounts of Fruits and Vegetables on Intake and Health
This project examines the main and sustained effects of 30 percent and 15 percent discounts, versus no discount, on purchasing of fruits and vegetables by overweight and obese shoppers in multiple stores of a Manhattan supermarket chain.

Publications