By Gut Feeling

We are scientists and medical professionals drawn together by the desire to find new ways to fight old diseases.

This is Amir Zarrinpar

Principal Investigator. AB Psychology and Biology. PhD Neurosciences. MD Internal Medicine, Fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Post-doctoral work in Circadian Rhythms, Metabolism, and Gut Microbiome. Enjoys the golden age of television, griping about the LA (?!?) Chargers, and spending time with his wife and kids.

“it was encouraging that a simple increase in daily fasting time prevented weight gain and the onset of disease. ‘Otherwise, this could have been only partly achieved with a number of different pills and with adverse side effects,’ he says.” – Science Daily

The Science

Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases. It occurs with a constellation of other diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Collectively, these diseases are called diabesity.

  • The Zarrinpar Lab is interested in the intersection of circadian biology, gut physiology, and the gut microbiome and how the three interact to cause obesity, diabetes, steatohepatitis, and other gut-mediated diseases. We investigate the development of disease as a dynamic process. Specifically, we are interested in the reciprocal interaction between the intestines and their content and how they drive normal gut gene expression, absorption, nutrient sensing, and signaling. When this homeostasis is disturbed, it can affect other target organs. By studying these interactions, we hope to find novel ways to treat difficult diseases.

Publications

“Physicians and medical students are in a unique position to contribute to informed debates on critical issues affecting the practice of medicine and ways of ensuring access to healthcare through economic reform”

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