Caroline Alexander
Credentials: Oncology Department
Position title: Skin and metabolic physiology
Email: alexander@oncology.wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 265-5182
Address:
6505 WI Institute Medical Research
1111 Highland Ave
Madison, WI 53705
LAB WEBSITE:
FOCUS GROUPS:
Cancer Biology; Cellular & Molecular Metabolism; Physiology
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION:
We are testing the hypothesis that mammalian skin is a regulatory metabolic organ which can be exploited to improve systemic metabolism. Our investigation of a mutant mouse strain (mutant for syndecan1; Sdc1) has shown that although these mice are healthy and grossly normal, they have “under-insulated” skins, allowing energy to be lost by evaporative cooling. Along with other mouse strains that show higher heat loss through skins, these mice are dramatically resistant to tumor development. The molecular investigation of skin permeability will allow us to understand how skin controls thermogenesis and total energy expenditure. Specifically, we aim to find out how genetic and environmental factors control the molecular composition of the lipidome of skins to control heat transfer. We use in vivo assays of genetically engineered mice and assays of lipid metabolism in vitro.
ALSO A TRAINER IN THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:
Cancer Biology Graduate Program, https://molpharm.wisc.edu