Medical School
Twin Cities
Research in the Ruan laboratory is centered on understanding how metabolic homeostasis is maintained at the physiological level and defining the pathological alterations in diseases and conditions including obesity, diabetes, digestive disease, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation. Metabolism fuels all biological processes and metabolic dysfunction underlies the basis of these diseases and conditions. Systemic homeostasis is achieved through coordinated metabolic regulation among different cells and multiple tissues and organs.
The ultimate long-term goal of the Ruan laboratory is to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying the intercellular, inter-tissue, and inter-organ communication in maintaining the metabolic homeostasis. The researchers utilize tools such as biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, mouse genetics, and metabolomics to unravel the molecular underpinning of metabolic communication mediated by hormonal signals and nutritional cues.