Judith Storch

Judith Storch is a Distinguished Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University, leading groundbreaking research on intracellular lipid trafficking with direct implications for metabolic diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disorders, and lipid-storage pathologies. Her work focuses on molecular mechanisms of fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) and Niemann-Pick type C2 protein (NPC2) in cellular lipid transport.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Columbia University, 1983

Dr. Storch's research program investigates how lipids such as fatty acids and cholesterol are transported within cells, employing transgenic mouse models, patient-derived cells, and advanced biophysical techniques. Her laboratory examines why different cell types express distinct FABP isoforms, how intestinal FABP regulates whole-body energy homeostasis, and NPC2's critical role in cholesterol egress from lysosomes. Current work explores phospholipid-based therapies for Niemann-Pick disease using LBPA enrichment to restore cellular homeostasis.

Analysis of her 2018-2021 publications reveals consistent focus on lipid-storage diseases with emphasis on NPC pathology and FABP functions. Key breakthroughs include demonstrating LBPA's therapeutic potential for NPC1 deficiency, establishing RBP2's role in gut signaling and weight regulation, and uncovering metabolic adaptations in FABP-knockout models that confer protection against diet-induced metabolic dysfunction.

Scientific Awards:

• No specific awards documented in source material

Dr. Storch directs a multidisciplinary research team utilizing biochemical, biophysical, and molecular approaches to address fundamental questions in lipid metabolism. Her laboratory maintains active collaborations with clinical researchers studying Niemann-Pick disease and develops translational strategies targeting lipid trafficking defects. Current NIH-funded projects investigate phospholipid therapeutics for lysosomal storage disorders and mechanisms linking fatty acid transport to metabolic disease pathogenesis.

Her laboratory integrates site-directed mutagenesis, fluorescence spectroscopy, confocal microscopy of Caco-2 intestinal cells, and whole-animal physiology to dissect lipid transport pathways. Ongoing work examines how specific phospholipids modulate NPC protein function and explores FABP isoforms as metabolic regulators in obesity-related pathologies, with therapeutic applications for cardiovascular disease and rare lipid-storage disorders.