Rupali Banerjee

Dr. Rupali Banerjee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Her research focuses on lipid metabolism, organelle contact sites, and cellular stress responses using Drosophila and mammalian models.

Education:
PhD in Biology (2015).

Research Focus:
Investigates lipid droplet biogenesis, ER-endolysosomal contact sites, and metabolic regulation. Key discoveries include Snazarus/SNX25 roles in autophagy and Mdm1-mediated lipid droplet formation at ER contact sites. Recent work explores actin cytoskeleton regulation of adipocyte size and inter-organ nutrient trafficking.

Publication Trends:
Her work (2003-2024) spans pigmentation genetics to advanced proximity labeling techniques. Recent studies characterize metabolic rewiring in lipid-depleted systems and ER-associated lipoprotein homeostasis, with consistent focus on membrane contact site biology.

Model Systems: Leverages Drosophila genetics, yeast models, and mammalian cell systems to study evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of metabolic regulation and organelle dynamics.