Faculty & Staff

Biography

The goal of our laboratory is to elucidate the involvement of complex signaling pathways in the control of lipid metabolism. This has important implications in human health including the development of obesity, fatty liver disease, diabetes, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The molecular and physiological basis for the actions of MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) in cell and whole-body metabolism is the broad focus of our research program. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) have emerged as major sensors of environmental status, where environmental indications motivate intracellular signaling pathways responsible for regulation of fundamental cellular physiological functions like cell survival and death, metabolism, proliferation and cell cycle. MAPKs are inactivated by direct dephosphorylation of their regulatory threonine and tyrosine residues by MKPs. Our studies use a combination of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics and mouse models to study metabolism and metabolic disorders. Our research program aims include: Regulation of lipid metabolism by MKPs in physiology and disease; Gut-liver axis connection in the development of fatty liver disease; Identify and characterize novel MKP/MAPK substrates in lipid metabolism; Identify targets and design therapies for treating metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

Curriculum Vitae

Research Website

Education

• Ph.D. University of Strathclyde, U.K. (Cell Biology & Cardiovascular Disease) 2011
• M.Sc. Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria (Cardiovascular Physiology) 2004
• B.Sc. Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria (Neuroscience) 1995

Expertise

• Signal transduction
• Obesity
• Hepatic physiology and disease

Recent Publications

• Qiu, B., Ahmed Lawan, C.E. Xirouchaki, et al. MKP1 promotes nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by suppressing AMPK activity through LKB1 nuclear retention. Nature Communications 14, 5405 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41145-5

• Morgan Welch, Cassandra Secunda, Nabin Ghimire, Isabel Martinez, Amber Mathus, Urja Patel, Sarayu Bhogoju, Mashael Al-Mutairi, Kisuk Min and Ahmed Lawan. 2022. Characterization and Roles of Membrane Lipids In Fatty Liver Disease. Membranes 12 (4):410.PubMed PMID: 35448380

• Fernando SY, Smith S, Sellers J, Junkins S, Bhogoju S, Sadie Junkins, Morgan Welch, Orion Willoughby, Nabin Ghimire, Cassandra Secunda, Barmanova M, Kumer SC, Min K and Lawan A. 2022. Metabolic impact of MKP-2 upregulation in obesity promotes insulin resistance and fatty liver disease. Nutrients 14 (12):2475. PubMed PMID: 35745205