Orian Shirihai, MD, PhD
Chair, Metabolism Theme
“We are trying to understand whether it is possible to make tissue prefer one nutrient to another. This process could help stem obesity, a condition that affects more than one-third of American adults.”
- Orian Shirihai, MD, PhD
The UCLA Metabolism Theme is a David Geffen School of Medicine initiative that aims to facilitate campus wide interdisciplinary research in the field of metabolism involving basic, clinical and industry collaborations. The team, led by Dr. Orian Shirihai, seeks to understand how metabolic pathways contribute to human disease and how they can be harnessed for diagnosis, prevention and therapy.
UCLA Metabolism Theme investigators and physicians have ideas and evidence about how metabolic processes can be reset in some disorders, potentially creating pathways for improved treatments and possible cures. Some of this work includes:
Obesity and Type 2 diabetes – are metabolic disorders. Both are related to food: Obesity is connected to excessive body fat accumulation, and high blood sugar is connected to diabetes.
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Mitochondria, the parts of a cell that break down energy, have a breathtaking vitality, researchers say. Trillions of mitochondria perform their dances, nonstop, during a person’s lifetime.
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At UCLA, with our strong focus on both metabolism and cancer, researchers are solving the mechanisms by which cancer tweaks cell metabolism.
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Located in the newly renovated South Tower of the Center for Health Sciences.
The Metabolism Theme space at the CHS South Tower has been designed in a joint effort between architects and engineers at UCLA, as well as two outside firms, both of whom worked closely with the Theme and the PI of each lab.
Mailing Address:
UCLA Center for Health Sciences
10833 Le Conte Ave (at UCLA)
Los Angeles, CA 90095