Aditi

Das

Associate Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Research Interests

One of the key challenges in life science research is elucidating the physiological role of lipids. Lipids provide structural support to cells, regulate the function of membrane proteins, and are converted to bioactive lipid metabolites that can act as signaling molecules. Therefore, lipids are important in sustaining homeostasis in the body and have been implicated in multiple disease states such as neurodegenerative, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Our laboratory’s research focus on understanding the enzymology of lipid metabolism by metalloenzymes and elucidating the pharmacological function of the lipid metabolites in the context of their interactions with GPCRs and TRP channels. Furthermore, we use omics approaches (lipidomics, metabolomics and proteomics) to understand the dynamics in the lipidome in the human body. Specifically, we focus on the key players in the  endocannabidome. Endocannabinoids are lipid mediators that interact with the cannabinoid receptors which are also the target of the cannabinoid molecules.