The Cohen Lab is interested in a number of questions that may help explain why obesity increases the risks of deadly co-morbidities:

• What are the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic identity and plasticity of adipocytes (fat cells)?
• What are the specific phenotypes regulated by distinct adipocytes (white, brown, and beige)?
• How does adipocyte phenotype contribute to disease?
• Can we develop approaches to modulate adipocyte phenotype?

Our interdisciplinary team of students, post-docs, clinical fellows, and research assistants utilizes a wide variety of experimental approaches to investigate adipose biology at the molecular, cellular, and organismal level.