Vanderbilt University · BiologyMaternal Influences on Beta Cell Development Lab
Guoqiang Gu · Nashville, Tennessee
Research Focus
Dr. Guoqiang Gu's lab at Vanderbilt University focuses on understanding how maternal influences, particularly nutrition and obesity, affect the development and functioning of insulin-producing beta cells in offspring. They investigate the genetic and environmental factors that shape beta-cell populations, which are critical for maintaining healthy glucose levels and preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes. The lab employs advanced genetic techniques to trace cellular lineages and analyze gene expression patterns in order to reveal relationships between maternal health, cellular identity, and diabetes risk in offspring.
beta cellsdiabetesmaternal nutritionepigeneticscellular heterogeneitytranscription factorsDNA methylationfetal developmentmetabolic health
Research Aims
5AIM 01Examine the mechanisms of DNA methylation in beta-cell subtypes in both mouse and human islets.
AIM 02Investigate how maternal obesity influences fetal beta-cell subtype allocation.
AIM 03Identify maternal nutrition-related factors that affect beta-cell function in offspring.
AIM 04Determine the genetic factors involved in beta-cell function regulation under metabolic stress.
AIM 05Explore the differential effects of beta-cell subtype fitness on diabetes susceptibility.
Skills the Lab Values
DNA methylation analysisgenetic lineage tracingPCRcell culturetranscription factor analysisanimal modelsdata interpretationgene expression profilingepigenetic profiling
Output against the department
Publications113bottom 40% of dept.624th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations6.5kbottom 46% of dept.555th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
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