Postdoc Fellowships 2024 - Project 2
Project title: Local and systemic impact of adipose tissue on vascular function in cardiometabolic disease
Summary
People living with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease or stroke than those without diabetes, yet the precise mechanisms for this increased atherosclerosis risk remain poorly understood. This translational postdoc project aims to shed light on the links between diabetes, obesity and the associated heightened risk for atherosclerosis by exploring the differential effect of local adipose tissue surrounding larger vessels (perivascular fat) and the systemic impact of the subcutaneous adipose tissue, which represents around 80% of the human fat mass. The project will explore both known disease pathways such as Arginase activity and identify novel mediating factors affecting vascular function by collecting paired clinical fat biopsies and performing molecular and functional analyses. The results can potentially have large implications for our understanding of the interconnection between diabetes and cardiovascular risk, and help identify valuable therapeutic targets for future protective treatments for this extra vulnerable patient group.