Professor Yuxiang Sun to Present Nutrient-Sensing Ghrelin Signaling in Inflamm-Aging and Healthspan

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Please join the Department of Food Science and the Center for Human Nutrition for Dr. Yuxiang Sun's seminar on Nutrient-sensing ghrelin signaling in inflamm-aging and healthspan. Sun's seminar is today, Monday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m. in Food Science D1/D2. Join in person or on Zoom.

Sun is professor and associate head for graduate programs, Department of Nutrition, Texas A& M University. Sun received her M.D. from Beijing Medical University in China, Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba in Canada and postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Sun is a leader in gut hormone ghrelin research; her work has transformed the understanding of ghrelin biology. She generated a series of crucial ghrelin mouse tools for the field and discovered the novel functions of ghrelin signaling in nutritional regulation, diabetes, thermogenesis and inflammation. Suppression of ghrelin signaling shifts the metabolic state from obesogenesis to thermogenesis and converts the immunity state from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory. Her work establishes that ghrelin is an important nutrient sensor, metabolic regulator and immuno-modulator. Her seminal discoveries have profound implications for obesity, diabetes, aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Sun is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar. She has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles and received near 9,000 citations. She currently serves as PI on two NIH R01s studying immunometabolism and inflamm-aging, and a foundation grant studying Alzheimer's disease. Sun is an enthusiastic collaborator; currently she serves as MPI on an NIH R21 and Co-I on 3 R01s with investigators in and outside of Texas A&M. 

Sun's impact is beyond just her research achievement. Her mentorship has led several former trainees to faculty positions, and she has made significant contributions to grant review panels and scientific journals, which exemplify her well-rounded excellence in teaching and service.

E-mail: Yuxiang.Sun@tamu.edu

University website: https://nutrition.tamu.edu/people/sun-yuxiang/

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AvEn46EAAAAJ&hl=en