Email

hartig@bcm.edu

Positions

Associate Professor

Medicine
Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas US

Associate Professor

Mol & Cell Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US

Member

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Addresses

BCM-Alkek Building for Biomedical Research (Lab)

ABBR-R612
Houston, TX 77030
United States
hartig@bcm.edu

Education

Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Baylor College Of Medicine

10/2011 - Houston, Texas United States

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Post-Doctoral Fellowship at University Of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

06/2008 - Houston, Texas United States

Cancer Biology

PhD from Vanderbilt University

12/2006 - Nashville, Tennessee United States

Chemical Engineering

BS from North Carolina State University

05/2001 - Raleigh, North Carolina United States

Chemical Engineering

Honors & Awards

Nancy Chang, Ph.D. Award for Research Excellence

Baylor College of Medicine

Protege, The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas

Norton Rose Fulbright Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching and Evaluation

Baylor College of Medicine

Professional Interests

• Cellular Mechanisms of Obesity and Diabetes

Professional Statement

Obesity affects one in three adults worldwide and represents the most significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. We are interested in fundamental aspects of metabolic regulation, particularly how diet and environment act on fat cells to influence the co-morbidities of obesity. Recent efforts in our laboratory use modern combinations of mouse and human studies to examine the cell biology within adipose tissue and identify targets for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.

We recruit graduate students from the Cancer & Cell Biology, Genetics & Genomics, and Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics programs.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Cox AR, Chernis N, Bader DA, Saha PK, Masschelin PM, Felix JB, Sharp R, Lian Z, Putluri V, Rajapakshe K, Kim KH, Villareal DT, Armamento-Villareal R, Wu H, Coarfa C, Putluri N, Hartig SM "STAT1 dissociates adipose tissue inflammation from insulin sensitivity in obesity." Diabetes. 2020;69:2630-2641.
• Felix JB, Cox AR, Hartig SM "Acetyl-CoA and metabolite fluxes regulate white adipose tissue expansion." Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2021;32:320-332.
• Koh EH, Chernis N, Saha PK, Xiao L, Bader DA, Zhu B, Rajapakshe K, Hamilton MP, Liu X, Perera D, Chen X, York B, Trauner M, Coarfa C, Bajaj M, Moore DD, Deng T, McGuire SE, Hartig SM "miR-30a remodels subcutaneous adipose tissue inflammation to improve insulin sensitivity in obesity." Diabetes. 2018;67:2541-2553.
• Cox AR, Masschelin PM, Saha PK, Felix JB, Sharp R, Lian Z, Xia Y, Chernis N, Bader DA, Kim KH, Li X, Yoshino J, Li X, Li G, Sun Z, Wu H, Coarfa C, Moore DD, Klein S, Sun K, Hartig SM "The rheumatoid arthritis drug auranofin lowers leptin levels and exerts anti-diabetic effects in obese mice." Cell Metab. 2022;34:1934-1936.

Projects

Developmental signals that regulate body fat distribution

White adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that dynamically expands and contracts to meet the metabolic demands of the organism. It is found in the subcutaneous layer and distinct intra-abdominal depots. Excess abdominal fat is associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In contrast, expansion of subcutaneous white adipose tissue depots is associated with normal insulin sensitivity and reduced incidence of obesity-linked conditions including ectopic fat deposition, hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), and type 2 diabetes. We are interested in transcriptional pathways that specify the patterning of white adipose tissue depots in normal development and obesity. These projects will ultimately explore pathways and signals that dictate the selective expansion of depot-specific fat cells.

Memberships

Endocrine Society

Member

American Diabetes Association

Member

Funding

Metabolic Impacts of Type II Interferon Signals in Obesity - #R01DK114356

(08/18/2017 - 06/30/2026) Grant funding from NIH NIDDK

The long-term goal of this project is to understand how inflammation contributes to the co-morbidities of obesity.

Metabolic Impact of FGF-21 in Adipose Tissue and Liver of People Living With HIV - #R01DK126042

(09/20/2020 - 06/30/2025) Grant funding from NIH NIDDK

The goal of this project is to understand how elevated FGF21 expression contributes to fatty liver disease in people living with HIV.