Douglas G. Mashek, PhD
Professor of BMBB and Medicine (Joint Appointment), Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics

Contact Info
Professor of BMBB and Medicine (Joint Appointment), Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
Head, Division of Metabolic and Systems Biology
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
MS, Michigan State, East Lansing, MI
BS, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Summary
Awards & Recognition
Professional Associations
Research
Research Summary/Interests
Research in the Mashek laboratory focuses on the relationship between lipid metabolism and the development of metabolic and aging-related diseases. A primary emphasis is on studies involving lipid droplet biology in the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Type 2 Diabetes, cancer and aging. A major focus is on understanding how lipid droplets are catabolized and how they communicate within cells to influence cell function. We also conduct pre-clinical and clinical studies to determine how alterations in diet and dietary patterns (fasting, time-restricted feeding, etc.) and exercise alter metabolism to improve health.
Publications
- Ploeger JP, Maniel JC, Boatner LN, Mashek DG. Caloric restriction prevents carcinogen-induced liver cancer. Cancer Prevention Research 2017;10(11):660-670.
- Franklin MP, Sathyanarayan A, Mashek DG. Acyl-CoA thioesterase 1 (ACOT1) regulates PPAR-a to couple fatty acid flux with oxidative capacity. Diabetes 2017;66(8):2112-2123.
- Shepherd SO, Strauss JA, Wang Q, Dube JJ, Goodpaster B, Mashek DG, Chow LS. Training alters the distribution of perilipin proteins in muscle following acute free fatty acid exposure. Journal of Physiology 2017;595(16):5587-5601.
- Chow LS, Mashek DG, Wang Q, Shepherd SO, Goodpaster BH, Dube JJ. Effects on acute physiological FFA elevation on fiber type specific IMCL accumulation. Journal of Applied Physiology 2017;123(1):71-78.
- Sathyanarayan S, Mashek MT, Mashek DG. ATGL promotes autophagy/lipophagy via SIRT1 to control hepatic lipid droplet catabolism. Cell Reports 2017;19(1):1-9.
- Zhang W, Bu SY, Mashek MT, O-Sullivan I, Sibai Z, Khan SA, Ikayeva O, Newgard CB, Mashek DG*, Unterman TG*. Integrated Regulation of Hepatic Lipid and Glucose Metabolism by Adipose Triacylglycerol Lipase and FoxO Proteins. Cell Reports 2016;15(2):349-359. *Co-corresponding authors.
- Bowman TA, O-Keeffe K, D’Aquila T, Yan QW, Griffin JD, Killion EA, Mashek DG, Buhman KK, Greenberg AS. Acyl-CoA synthetase 5 (ACSL5) ablation in mice increases energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity and delays fat absorption. Molecular Metabolism 2016;5(3):210-220.
- Khan SA, Wollaston-Hayden EE, and Mashek DG. Quantitative analysis of the lipid droplet-associated proteome during high fat feeding induced hepatic steatosis in mice. Journal of Lipid Research 2015:56(12):2260-2272.
- Khan SA, Sathyanarayan A, Mashek MT, Ong KT, Wollaston-Hayden EE, Mashek DG. ATGL-catalyzed lipolysis regulates SIRT1 to control PGC-1a/PPAR-a signaling. Diabetes 2015;64(2):418-426.
Teaching
Courses
- BioC 8006 - Biochemistry: Metabolism and Control
- Basic Science Journal Club for Endocrinology Fellows