Lin Jia

Lin Jia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas, affiliated with the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Her research focuses on identifying mediators and pathways involved in alcohol- and non-alcoholic liver diseases, metabolic disorders, and insulin resistance. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Pathology from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Preventive Medicine from Fudan University.

Her research interests include exploring tissue-specific roles of de novo lipogenesis, gut-liver axis interactions, and the effects of dietary cholesterol and sympathetic nervous system activity on liver health. She utilizes mouse models, including novel TLR4-deficient models, to study hepatocyte and vagal afferent signaling in metabolic disorders.

Key publications highlight her work on TLR4's role in insulin resistance, bile acid regulation, and alcohol-induced liver damage. Her NIH-funded grants include a K01 Award for investigating hepatocyte TLR4 in alcoholic steatohepatitis and an R03 Grant exploring dietary cholesterol's impact on alcoholic liver disease.

Current projects address alcohol-associated liver disease mechanisms and obesity-related fatty liver pathogenesis, with a focus on inflammation, metabolic pathways, and dietary factors. Her work bridges molecular biology, immunology, and translational medicine to advance understanding of chronic liver diseases.