Metabolomics in Nutrition and Disease
The interdisciplinary approach towards my research interests encompasses and connects the diversity of my academic background (MS, chemistry; PhD, Nutrition and Food Science, Postdoctoral/biotech industry experience, lipoprotein metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation). Thus, my team investigates the effect of dietary bioactive compounds including curcumin, tocotrienols, garcinol and palm polyphenolics in the potential prevention and/or treatment of disease progression. Metabolomics is inculcated into my research matrix to scrutinize the efficacy of the bioactive compounds in the respective disease models. In addition, it serves as a sophisticated tool for the development of potential non-invasive, early risk biomarkers of disease or its progression. Non-omic methods including gene and protein expression analysis, microRNA profile modulation are also evaluated and correlated with changes in the metabolomic profiles to get a deeper mechanistic understanding.
Metabolomics: My team uses 1H NMR spectroscopy in tandem with the power of multivariate analyses, including Principal component analysis (PCA), PLSDA, OPLS. Multiple regression analysis is also used for correlation of metabolomics with genomics or other omics data. We have optimized methods for plasma (human, rodent), urine (human, rodent), cell culture extracts (human, yeast), biological tissue extract.
Disease Models Investigated : Our research has been focused on lung and pancreatic cancer and more recently on Alzheimer's Disease. Both invitro, human cancer cell lines and invivo models of disease including mice, rats, hamster models have been utilized to evaluate various aspects of the research questions.
