Tara Ann TeSlaa

Tara Ann TeSlaa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. She obtained her BS in Mathematics and Biochemistry from St. Peter's University (2007), MS in Biomedical Engineering from UCLA (2008), PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA (2017), and completed postdoctoral training in Metabolism at Princeton University (2022). Her research focuses on metabolic regulation in health and disease, with emphasis on diabetes, cancer, and stem cell biology.

Dr. TeSlaa's research program investigates fundamental metabolic pathways including:

• Regulation of glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways
• Lactate and serine metabolism in physiological systems
• Metabolic adaptations in cancer progression and therapy resistance
• Metabolite signaling in immune cell function
• Development of novel metabolic imaging and biosensor technologies

Her work employs cutting-edge techniques including isotopic tracing, genetically encoded biosensors, and spatially resolved metabolomics.

Her recent publications demonstrate strong focus on:

• Metabolic flux analysis in tumors and healthy tissues
• Gut-brain metabolic communication pathways
• Development of molecular tools for real-time metabolite tracking
• Metabolic basis of immune cell function in cancer
• Dietary interventions in metabolic disease management

The research consistently integrates computational, biochemical, and physiological approaches to study metabolic networks.

Dr. TeSlaa leads an active research laboratory at UCLA investigating metabolic adaptations in disease states. She maintains scientific collaborations with multiple research groups including those of Joshua Rabinowitz. Her X (Twitter) presence (@tarateslaa) indicates ongoing scientific engagement and communication.