Dr. Douglas Mashek is a University McKnight Distinguished Professor with a primary appointment in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics (BMBB) and a secondary appointment in the Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism (MIBAM). Doug earned his B.S. from Iowa State University, M.S. from Michigan State University, and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.  Doug completed his postdoctoral training in Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Dr. Mashek’s research has broad interests in understanding the biochemical basis of metabolic diseases (Type 2 Diabetes, NAFLD, obesity), cancer, and aging, as well as how interventions such as diet influence these processes. A central theme of our laboratory is connecting various aspects of metabolism to different cellular functions and disease development. A longstanding interest is in the biology of lipid droplets (LDs), which serve as the primary energy-storage form in nearly all cell types and, when in excess, contribute to cellular dysfunction. The Mashek laboratory employs a wide range of experimental techniques, ranging from basic biochemistry, molecular biology, enzymology, and cell biology to animal models to clinical trials. Ongoing areas of emphasis include how LDs cause inflammation; how LD interactions with other organelles compartmentalize metabolism and signaling; how LD breakdown is beneficial and confers benefits similar to fasting or caloric restriction; and how nutrient-sensing nodes (epigenetic modifiers) connect changes in metabolism to cell function and disease etiology.