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I have developed and maintained a vigorous independent research program (currently funded by two R01 awards by NIDDK) in the area of insulin signaling, insulin resistance, diabetes, and proteomics. Insulin resistance lies at the base of the array of diseases or pre-disease conditions such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

However, the molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis remain elusive. Insulin regulates a wide variety of biological processes, and defects in insulin signaling in skeletal muscle are considered to be among the main causes for insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes (T2D). T2D has become a world and US epidemic. More than 530 million adults (i.e., >10% of adults) worldwide are living with diabetes. This number is predicted to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045 (https://diabetesatlas.org/).

In the US, 37 million adults (i.e., 14.7% of all US adults) have diabetes, leading to >$300 billion health care costs annually.  Projections indicate that the US diabetes prevalence may increase to ~30% in 2050 (www.CDC.gov). Among all diabetic cases, more than 90% are T2D. Intracellular actions of insulin are mediated by modifications of regulatory proteins and enzymes through protein-protein interactions as well as protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.