Shawn C. Burgess

Dr. Shawn C. Burgess is a Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), where he leads research in the Center for Human Nutrition and Department of Pharmacology. His work focuses on metabolic flux regulation and its alterations in disease states, particularly obesity and diabetes.

Dr. Burgess earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2000, with research on carbon-13 tracers and NMR for metabolic flux analysis. He completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Radiology at UT Southwestern (2000-2003), studying substrate metabolism in β-cells and liver using tracer approaches.

His research laboratory employs stable isotope tracers, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry to investigate how metabolic flux is regulated by molecular physiology and altered by disease or pharmacology. The Burgess Lab specifically focuses on oxidative and biosynthetic metabolism pathways in contexts of obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, seeking to understand how metabolic mechanisms contribute to pathologies such as steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent focus on hepatic metabolism, particularly gluconeogenesis, TCA cycle function, and mitochondrial metabolism in fatty liver disease. His work frequently examines metabolic adaptations to high-fat diets, exercise, and pharmacological interventions, with strong emphasis on translational applications for metabolic disorders.

Dr. Burgess has maintained an active research program for over two decades, with publications spanning from 2001 to the present. His laboratory continues to produce high-impact research in metabolic diseases, with recent work focusing on malonyl-CoA synthesis, ketogenesis, and metabolic adaptations to exercise in mouse models and human subjects.