معرفی
Lisa Lesniewski, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology. She directs an active research program investigating the vascular and metabolic consequences of aging and obesity, with emphasis on adipose tissue biology, arterial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis.
Education
- B.S., Ohio State University
- Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Research Interests
Dr. Lesniewski’s laboratory explores how aging and obesity synergistically impair vascular and metabolic health. Central themes include:
- Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ driving systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.
- Telomere dysfunction and cellular senescence in adipose and arterial tissues.
- mTOR signaling and the potential of rapamycin-based interventions to counter vascular aging.
- MicroRNA networks—especially miR-92a—in arterial growth, aging, and atherosclerosis.
- The small GTPase ARF6 as a mechanosensitive regulator of endothelial inflammation and atherogenesis.
Research Output & Trends
Across more than 40 peer-reviewed publications (2019-2024), her group has advanced a translational pipeline from molecular mechanism (DNA damage, telomere uncapping, senolytic therapy) to organismal phenotype (arterial stiffness, glucose intolerance, atheroma burden) in both mouse models and human cohorts. A consistent innovation is the integration of high-resolution imaging biosensors with in-vivo vascular phenotyping to dissect single-cell metabolic heterogeneity within aged and obese tissues.
Scientific Awards & Honors
No specific awards are listed in the provided materials.
Funding & Collaborative Networks
Dr. Lesniewski has sustained NIH funding for projects spanning vascular aging, adipose inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. She actively collaborates with investigators in Molecular Biology, Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, and Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Utah, as well as with national geroscience consortia.
Laboratory & Teams
The Lesniewski Laboratory is housed within the University of Utah’s Molecular Medicine Program and has access to core facilities in metabolic phenotyping, advanced microscopy, and small-animal cardiovascular physiology. The team comprises post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and research technicians working on parallel but integrated projects aimed at translating pre-clinical discoveries into therapeutic strategies for age-related cardiometabolic disease.
