Dequina Nicholas

Dequina Nicholas is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), affiliated with the Samueli School of Engineering and the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Her research focuses on the interplay between chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and endocrine disorders such as Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

Her lab employs molecular and cellular biology techniques, transgenic mouse models, and human sample analysis to study immunometabolism. Key projects include investigating pituitary immune cell populations influencing gonadotropin secretion, lipid antigen presentation mechanisms in human diseases, and the role of glucose metabolism in reproductive hormone regulation.

Notable achievements include publications in Cell Metabolism and Nature Reviews Endocrinology, and recognition at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology Conference. Her work aims to identify therapeutic targets for metabolic and immune-related diseases, with a focus on translational research.