Karen Reue

Karen Reue is a Professor and Department Vice Chair in Human Genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine. Her research focuses on sex differences in lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and metabolic syndrome.

• Department Vice Chair, Human Genetics, UCLA
• Professor, Human Genetics & Medicine, UCLA
• Research Interests: Sex differences in metabolism, X chromosome dosage, lipid droplet dynamics

Reue's work investigates how chromosomal sex and gonadal hormones interact to modulate metabolic health, using mouse models like the Four Core Genotypes system. She has contributed to understanding statin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, gender-affirming hormone effects on metabolic syndrome, and the role of KDM5 histone demethylase in adipogenesis.

Her recent publications highlight collaborations with multidisciplinary teams across lipid research, endocrinology, and molecular biology. Notable projects include studies on CLSTN3β in adipocyte multilocularity, PPARα in ketogenesis, and Esr1 in muscle metabolic resilience.

Reue's research is supported by NIH grants including R21AR077782 (2020-2022) on statin-induced myopathy and U54DK120342 (2018-2023) on sex differences in metabolic syndrome. She has also received funding for studies on lipid droplet biology and X chromosome effects in disease.