Christodoulides Group: Deciphering the role of white and brown adipocytes in cardiometabolic diseases — Radcliffe Department of Medicine (ox.ac.uk)

My research investigates how obesity drives the development of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Specifically, it focuses on uncovering the molecular determinants of adipocyte number and distribution - key factors underlying susceptibility to obesity-related cardiometabolic diseases - with the aim of translating these insights into novel therapeutic strategies.

To achieve this, we adopt a multidisciplinary approach, integrating human genetic and physiological studies with functional experiments in human adipose cells, Mendelian randomisation analyses, and drug screening.

Previously, we identified WNT pathway molecules, LRP5 and RSPO3, as novel regulators of human fat distribution. Notably, LRP5 is already a therapeutic target for osteoporosis, underscoring the translational potential of this work.

Currently, my research also explores additional developmental signaling pathways, such as TGF-beta signaling, which genetic evidence suggests play a critical role in modulating fat distribution and influencing the risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

I am a British Heart Foundation (BHF) Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary Consultant in Endocrinology and Diabetes. I completed my PhD at the University of Cambridge before joining the University of Oxford as an Academic Clinical Lecturer.