Jason D. Fowler

Year Entered: 2003

Degrees Received: 
B.S. Microbiology, University of Minnesota, 2003

Honors and Awards:
Lifson-Johnson Award for excellence in teaching by undergraduate or graduate students, Minnesota Medical Foundation, 2007

Thesis Advisor: David Bernlohr, Ph.D., Cellular and Integrative Physiology Graduate Program

Thesis Research:

My research time is divided between the Physiology and Biochemistry departments.  I am currently investigating the role of obesity and the biology of adipose tissue derived fatty acids to regulate components of the renin-angiotensin system.  My work focuses on the role of the putative fatty acid receptor of macrophages (toll-like receptor 4) to regulate the inflammatory response leading to and the expression of angiotensinogen.  I am also investigating how the plasma RASand a potential local adipose RASmay interact/interfere with each other.  In these studies I use a combination of molecular physiology and biochemistry to explore basic mechanisms controlling the RASof adipose tissue. Thus, I am a slave to two masters, and the common theme to my research is adipose biology.