Professor Dr. James Olzmann

Biography

The Olzmann research group employs a variety of strategies from systems biology, chemical biology, and cell biology to elucidate the principles regulating cellular lipid homeostasis. They have made significant advances in understanding the regulation and functions of neutral lipid storage organelles known as lipid droplets. Dysregulation of lipid droplets and lipid metabolism is implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including prevalent metabolic diseases such as obesity and fatty liver disease, as well as cancer. The group has also made key discoveries regarding cellular mechanisms that prevent lipotoxic damage in cancer, including the accumulation of oxidatively damaged phospholipids which are regulated through a cell death process known as ferroptosis. Their current research aims to leverage these findings to develop new therapeutics for treating therapy-resistant forms of cancer.

Research Interests

Courses