Suneil Koliwad

Suneil Koliwad, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where he serves as Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at UCSF Health. His research is conducted through the UCSF Diabetes Center, where he leads a laboratory investigating the intersection of nutrition, inflammation, and metabolic tissue function in obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and aging.

Dr. Koliwad earned his B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA, followed by an MD and PhD in Molecular Physiology from Baylor College of Medicine. He completed residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics and a fellowship in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism at UCSF, along with additional training in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

His research focuses on how immune cells, particularly microglia in the brain and macrophages in adipose tissue, regulate metabolic homeostasis. His lab explores mechanisms linking dietary fats to inflammation, insulin resistance, and adipose tissue fibrosis, utilizing a deeply curated multiethnic obesity cohort to translate findings into clinical contexts. Key areas include the role of DGAT1 in lipid metabolism, MFGE8-integrin signaling in insulin resistance, and microglial programming of glucose control.

His recent publications highlight trends in neuroimmunometabolism, adipose tissue remodeling, and the clinical application of diabetes technology. Work in Cell Metabolism, Nature Metabolism, and JCI demonstrates a strong emphasis on molecular mechanisms of metabolic disease, with a growing focus on human cohorts and translational applications.

• Election to American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), 2018
• Distinguished Endocrinologist Award, UC Irvine, 2022
• Guenther Boden, MD Memorial Award Lecture, Temple University, 2024
• A.P. Giannini Scholarship, 2006
• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, 1998

Dr. Koliwad has been Principal Investigator on multiple NIH R01 grants, including projects on microglia, fat-associated inflammation in HIV, and myeloid lipid storage. He leads a research team that fosters collaboration across disciplines, and his lab has trained numerous postdoctoral fellows and contributed to large multi-institutional studies. His work bridges basic science with clinical endocrinology, aiming to improve the understanding and treatment of metabolic diseases.