INSULIN SIGNALING IN DIABETES AND ALZHEMIER’S DISEASE: CSD Lab has been focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which various protein kinases and phosphatases modulate insulin signalling. We elucidate how these mechanisms get dysregulated in insulin resistant diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Our laboratory has provided insights into the signaling mechanisms in skeletal muscle and neuronal cell insulin resistance using a novel in vitro insulin-resistant cell model developed by our laboratory. Our research has identified the regulatory roles of PTEN, FAK, Sirt2, PAK, Akt, PP2Cα and PP1γ in insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and neuronal cells in vitro. We are currently probing the roles of proteins essential for insulin signaling, such as AS160, and PKC, in the context of insulin resistant diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. We are also investigating how exercise affects the cell signaling in neurons.
