The development of metabolic diseases, such as fatty liver, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes is influenced by nutritional, lifestyle, and genetic factors and result in myriad molecular changes that alter the progression of disease.
The overarching goal of the Sampath Lab is to delineate the cellular alterations that occur during the development of metabolic diseases. In this way, we seek to identify pathways that can be targeted for nutritional and pharmaceutical therapies to preserve health and improve health outcomes.
We are particularly interested in the regulation of systemic metabolic health by dietary and cellular lipids, especially saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, cellular processing of these lipids, and intra- and inter-organ communication by lipids. Recent studies are focused on intestinal sensing and processing of lipids and regulation of systemic metabolic health by intestine-derived signals, including lipids, enteroendocrine hormones, and the gut microbiome.
Regulation of lipid metabolism and its impact on tissue and whole body health
This project has direct relevance to understanding human diseases like atherosclerosis, fatty liver, and diabetes and devising nutritional and pharmacological approaches to mitigate these metabolic diseases. Specifically, we are interested in understanding how lipid metabolism is regulated in different cell types and tissues like liver, intestine, and heart, with a focus on the lipid modifying enzyme, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). SCD catalyzes the conversion of saturated fatty acids to monounsaturated fatty acids. SCD is a highly regulated enzyme, despite the fact that its products are abundant in our diets. In turn, it plays a critical role in regulating cellular metabolism: animals lacking SCD1 are lean and protected from metabolic disease; and in human cohorts, increased SCD activity is associated with metabolic syndrome. These prior findings have rendered SCD a very attractive target for manipulation of cellular metabolism. Current investigations in our lab are focused on delineating the tissue-specific roles for this highly regulated enzyme and identifying novel roles in understudied tissues. To do this, we use unique transgenic mouse models developed in our lab, as well as primary and immortalized cell lines in culture. We use a combination of cell biological, biochemical, and molecular biology tools to address our questions related to regulation of lipid metabolism and its role in overall health.
Figure title: The regulation of SCD1 and its role in regulating cellular metabolism          Figure credit: Adapted from Sampath and Ntambi. Future Lipidology 2008 3:163-73.
Oxidative DNA damage and repair and implications to metabolic health
Oxidative stress, a normal cellular process that is exacerbated by aging or by consumption of sub-par diets, results in damage to DNA pools within the cell. Such oxidative DNA damage is repaired via the base excision repair (BER) pathway . We study how defects or enhancements in the BER pathway may be utilized to improve metabolic health and function of specific tissues such as muscle and adipose tissue, via modulation of mitochondrial health. By using novel transgenic animals and primary cells, a direct translational goal of these studies is to devise novel means to mitigate age-related losses in tissue function and metabolic fitness.
Figure title: Protein structure of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1), an initiator of BER-mediated DNA repair           Figure credit: wikipedia.org
We are a group of energetic and diverse individuals with a passion for understanding how nutrients and genetics influence overall health. Alumni from the lab have continued their careers both in academia and in the private sector. The lab is housed within the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH). We are always interested in welcoming talented postdoctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students to the team.
PI: Harini SampathÂ
Harini Sampath is an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences and resident faculty at the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, where she also directs the Quantitative Lipidomics Core. She uses her training in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition to identify cellular alterations that underlie metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Her work has been funded by the NIH, the Marie-Curie Foundation, and the American Heart Association and has been published in numerous leading journals. Harini received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her B.S. from the University of New Hampshire. In her free time, Harini enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending time with her family.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Priyanka Sharma joined the lab in 2018. Trained in academia and industry, her research focuses on identifying new dietary phytochemicals with promising pharmacological activity against diseases posing a threat to public health. She is currently working on understanding the molecular mechanisms that link fatty acids to intestinal organoid development. In her free time she loves to travel and develop her passion for nature photography.
Natalie Burchat is a Cancer Metabolism and Tumor-Host Interactions T32 grant Postdoctoral Fellow focused on elucidating the role of delta-9 desaturases in the intestine and colon. In her free time, Natalie likes to exercise and to cook.
Graduate Students
Bhavya Blaze is a Nutritional Science doctoral candidate. She joined the lab in 2019 and is elucidating the role of the DNA repair enzyme OGG1 in modulation of muscle and adipose function. While she is not in classes or in the lab, she enjoys spending time with her family.
Camille Duchamp is a Nutritional Sciences Ph.D. candidate. She joined the lab in 2021 and is focused on understanding the role of stearoyl-CoA desaturases in the colon. In her free time, Camille likes to ride her horse and explore the outdoors.
Matthew Selby is a Nutritional Sciences graduate student. He joined the lab in 2022, and his research examines how tissue-specific stearoyl-CoA desaturases modulate whole-body lipid and energy homeostasis. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, gardening, and being outraged at TikTok dietary advice.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate researchers are a vital part of our team. Each year, we host several talented undergraduates from various departments, including Nutritional Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Food Science and more. Our undergraduates go on to Medical school, graduate training programs around the world, or the biotech industry. If you would like to be a part of the team, please contact Dr. Sampath.
Bhavya Gupta, Biochemistry 2025, Impact of OGG1 on tissue homeostasis, working with Bhavya Blaze
Jeanine Vidola, Biochemistry 2024, GH Cook Honors Student, Impact of intestinal SCD on SCFA synthesis, working with Dr. Natalie Burchat
Kelly Cheng, Biological Science 2026, Project TBD
Betul Yildiz, Lab Assistant
Bottom row L to R
Aishvarya Indiran, Biotechnology 2024, GH Cook Honors Student, Colonic lipid composition in response to high-fat diet feeding, working with Dr. Natalie Burchat
Archini Desai, Genetics 2025, Role of intestinal lipids on autophagy, working with Matt Selby
Jessica Kothapalli, Biochemistry 2026, Intestinal lipids and risk for colon cancer, working with Dr. Natalie Burchat
The Sampath Lab 