What inspired you to focus on endocrinology and metabolism?

I had an early interest in the general relationship between food and health and earned an undergraduate degree in nutritional sciences. The right factors converged during my sophomore and junior years; I took a biochemistry course while volunteering in a nutritional biochemistry laboratory. During this time, I worked with a very kind graduate student who taught me everything he knew about mass spectrometry. Because of this, I was able to apply the knowledge acquired from the biochemistry course. So, I was learning about lipid synthesis in class and then going to the mass spectrometry core on the weekends to measure lipid in human plasma, for example. The idea that we could quantify the chemical reactions of life and reveal more about how an organism functions stuck with me. This led to a long-term interest in metabolism.

What led you to the Kibbey Lab in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine?

I had the privilege of collaborating with the Kibbey Lab during my doctoral studies. I admired their work and unique approach to studying metabolism. During my PhD, I studied glutathione biosynthesis in the pancreatic islet but was looking to shift my research, almost exclusively, toward mitochondrial function. An opportunity arose for me to do this in the Kibbey Lab, so I took it.

Have any of your discoveries surprised you?

We’ve recently been surprised not only by the observation that extramitochondrial usage of ADP, a substrate for ATP synthase, has a strong impact on mitochondrial membrane potential, but also by our discovery that this impact is somewhat facilitated by reverse ATP synthase activity in beta cells.

What impact do you hope your research will have?

The overarching goal of my research is to better understand the biophysical rationale for differences in mitochondrial function across cell types, especially the pancreatic beta cell.

As a basic scientist, I hope that my research establishes truths about how nature works that might benefit society. If my research inspires even just one person to look at the world with curiosity and awe, then I consider that a success.

Endocrinology and Metabolism, one of 10 sections in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine, improves the health of individuals with endocrine and metabolic diseases by advancing scientific knowledge, applying new information to patient care, and training the next generation of physicians and scientists to become leaders in the field. To learn more, visit Endocrinology and Metabolism.