Professor, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa
DiabetesEndocrinologyLiver DiseasesObesity
Biography and Expertise
The laboratory currently focuses on how lipid droplet proteins optimize intracellular lipid metabolism to support insulin secretion while preventing beta cells from excessive lipid load.
Dr. Imai is also extending her work of perilipins to other tissues with active lipid metabolism such as the liver considering that the excessive lipid accumulation in the liver (NAFLD) is closely associated with obesity and diabetes.
An additional area of research interest includes islet inflammation that is also considered to play a role in beta cell loss in type 2 diabetes.