Evan Magarychoff

Research/Areas of Interest

Obesity affects one in three adults and one in six children in the United States and predisposes an individual to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). Individuals with obesity are also at risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are important mediators of adipogenesis and adipose function. Recent work in the Icli lab showed that the expression of a microRNA, namely miR-409-3p, was increased in the brown adipose endothelial cells of obese mice. Neutralization of miR-409-3p significantly improved brown adipose tissue angiogenesis and function through targeting ZEB1/MAP4K3; while improving glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and overall metabolism of obese mice by regulating the endothelial cell-brown adipocyte crosstalk. The goal of my research is to have a deeper understanding of the role of microRNAs within the adipose tissue microvasculature and how they regulate the adipose tissue function and metabolism.