Postdoc Fellowships 2024 - Project 5

Summary

Increased white adipose tissue mass is linked to type 2 diabetes, which in turn can be treated with several different anti-hyperglycemic drugs. However, there are large interindividual variations in the efficacy and side-effects of these interventions. We hypothesize that distinct adipocyte subtypes determine insulin sensitivity and outcomes following interventions with anti-hyperglycemic drugs. This project will test our model by spatially resolving treatment responses in human WAT based on samples from a clinical trial called DIASPAX (NCT05501483). In the study, we obtain adipose tissue biopsies, which we will use to generate single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomic data. By jointly analyzing these data together with functional assessment of the tissue and assessments of clinical phenotypes, we will for the first-time link white adipose tissue heterogeneity to treatment responses. We are now looking for an ambitious postdoctoral fellow that will perform single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomic analyses. The work will be undertaken in collaboration with other experts within the group as well as with members of the lab of Patrik Ståhl at SciLifeLab. There will be possibilities to follow-up key findings with wet lab experiments using state-of-the-art methods.