Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series featuring L. Ashley Cowart, PhD – “Atypical Sphingolipids in Mitochondrial Function”

Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series

L. Ashley Cowart, PhD
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Director, Lipidomics and Metabolomics Shared Resource
Massey Cancer Center
Virginia Commonwealth University

Location: Warwick Evans (Building D) and via Zoom (https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/95197826709)

Title & Abstract: 

“Atypical Sphingolipids in Mitochondrial Function”

Sphingolipids are constitutive and essential membrane components that also serve important signaling functions.  In recent years, subsets of novel sphingolipids have been discovered that are inducible and respond to stressors. Our work demonstrates that these atypical lipids, produced through novel enzyme subunits, are essential for mitochondrial function, yet drive disease pathology when induced above homeostatic levels. These lipids are highly compartmentalized at a subcellular level and serve distinct functions in heart and liver disease.  While targeting general sphingolipid synthesis in vivo is not feasible in humans due to the important functions of this lipid class, specifically targeting atypical lipids may serve as a viable therapeutic strategy.