Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, MD,
PhD
Associate Professor
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine
Department of Medicine
To contact Dr. Mauvais-Jarvis:
phone: (312) 503-1293
E-mail: f-mauvais-jarvis@northwestern.edu
Dr. Mauvais-Jarvis' Website
PubMed
Reference Lookup
Research Interests:
Mouse genetics is a powerful tool to uncover new paradigms in the regulation of energy metabolism. It is also one of the best available models to study the genetic and environmental cause, and therapeutic perspectives for diabetes and obesity. Our laboratory focuses on identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which sex hormones program energy metabolism and influence the risks of obesity and diabetes. We use genetic, physiological, molecular, and pharmacological tools to study mice with conditional gene targeting of the sex steroid receptors as well as genetically modified cell culture models in highly controlled environments. Our goal 1) is to obtain a better understanding of the biological processes at the root of diabetes and obesity, from the molecular standpoint to the population level, 2) to determine how to modulate sex steroid actions in a tissue-specific manner in order to have a therapeutic impact on diabetes and obesity in a gender-neutral or gender-specific manner.
Major areas of research in our Laboratory are:
- Mechanisms of estrogen and androgen regulation of pancreatic islet biology and insulin production
- Mechanisms of estrogen and androgen regulation of adipose tissue development biology, insulin sensitivity
- Programming and genetic regulation of energy metabolism by estrogens and androgens in males and females
- Molecular genetics of sex dimorphism in human diabetes, especially as it relates to ketosis-prone diabetic syndromes