Ajit Divakaruni *

Ajit S Divakaruni

Assistant Professor, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles

Affiliations

Member, I3T ThemeMolecular Pharmacology GPB Home AreaMolecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology GPB Home Area

Biography

Our laboratory has broad interest in mitochondrial metabolism and bioenergetics, with a particular emphasis on targeting mitochondrial inner membrane transporters to treat metabolic and neurodegenerative disease. Facilitated transport of metabolites, co-factors, and ions across the mitochondrial inner membrane can regulate a range of physiological processes including those as varied as thermogenesis, maintenance of euglycemia, and synaptic neurotransmission. Methodologically, we integrate bioenergetic measurements with metabolomics and stable isotope tracing to characterize cellular energy metabolism. We are also actively developing new assays, protocols, and data interpretation roadmaps to help make these measurements accessible to non-specialists interested in metabolism and mitochondrial function.

Publications