Rodney Infante

Rodney Infante, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, holding primary appointment in the Center for Human Nutrition and secondary appointments in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Department of Internal Medicine (Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases). He specializes in general gastroenterology and cancer cachexia. His research focuses on molecules and mechanisms driving adipose wasting in cachexia, particularly in oncologic, liver, and infectious diseases, with aims to identify therapies for cachexia and insights into obesity treatment.

• Education: B.S. in Accounting (University of Florida), M.D./Ph.D. (UT Southwestern), residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, gastroenterology/human nutrition fellowships at UT Southwestern.
• Awards: 2019 Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Medical Scientists, 2019 AGA Research Scholar Award.

Key research interests include cytokine-mediated adipose loss (e.g., leukemia inhibitory factor [LIF]), JAK inhibitor therapies, and cholesterol trafficking. He collaborates with oncologist Puneeth Iyengar on cachexia databases linking clinical observations to preclinical studies. His lab investigates cachexia mechanisms in gastrointestinal and lung cancers, leading to a phase 1 trial of JAK inhibitors.

Publications highlight cachexia pathogenesis, JAK/STAT signaling pathways, and metabolic disease intersections. He is affiliated with the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and leads the Infante Laboratory at UT Southwestern.