Bauer Lab

Location and Contact Information
The Bauer Lab uses a mix of molecular biology, animal physiology, and functional genomics to translate human genetics studies into actionable biological mechanisms, with a specific focus on cardiometabolic traits. Current work in the lab includes continued research into the roles of the Tribbles-1 (TRIB1) pseudokinase in regulating plasma lipid metabolism in the liver and adipose tissue, exploring the role of TRIB1 in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, development of novel therapeutics targeting Tribbles-1 activity, and understanding the effects of common DNA variation on nearby gene expression through functional genomics (i.e. ATAC-Seq, CRISPR/Cas9 screen, etc). Other ongoing projects include studies on the metalloprotease ADAMTS7 in atherosclerosis, the contribution of adventitial cells to atherosclerotic plaques, CRISPR screens for identifying novel regulators of lipid droplet formation, and functional genomics of cardiometabolic GWAS loci.
Lab Members
Elizabeth Ha
- Graduate student
Education and Training
BS, Stony Brook University
I am interested in gaining experience in experimental design and hypothesis formation, and in learning laboratory techniques as well as bioinformatics analysis. I hope to accomplish these goals as I study the role of the Tribbles1 pseudokinase in adipose tissue and how it affects plasma lipid levels, and as I interrogate the Trib1 genomic locus for functional regions using high-throughput methods.
Caio Matias
- Research Technician
Education and Training
BS, Yale University
Caio received his Bachelor's in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from Yale University in 2018. His undergraduate research was focused on the inhibition of chemokine co-receptors through the overexpression of artificial transmembrane proteins. He joined the Bauer lab in hopes of learning more about biological pathways of cardiometabolic diseases. Likes: Cell-culture, discussing hip-hop, animal work, and playing 2K. Has a complicated relationship with: Western blots.
Hyun-Kyung Chang
- Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Education and Training
BS, Kangwon University College of Biomedical Science, MS and PhD in Veterinary Biochemistry, Seoul National University
Hyun-Kyung joined the Bauer lab in the Fall of 2019 to work on studies of the metalloprotease ADAMTS7 and its role in atherosclerosis, while also studying the contribution of adventitial cell types to atherogenesis
Former Members
Gabriella Quartuccia
- Research Technician
Noel Walsh
- Research Technician
Kavita Jadhav
- Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Andrew Van Camp
- High School Student Researcher
Select Publications
Bauer RC, Khetarpal SA, Hand NJ, Rader DJ. Therapeutic Targets of Triglyceride Metabolism as Informed by Human Genetics. Trends in Molecular Medicine. Elsevier Ltd; 2016 Apr 1;22(4):328–40.
Nurnberg ST, Zhang H, Hand NJ, Bauer RC, Saleheen D, Reilly MP, et al. From Loci to Biology: Functional Genomics of Genome-Wide Association for Coronary Disease. Circulation Research. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2016 Feb 19;118(4):586–606.
Bauer RC, Sasaki M, Cohen DM, Cui J, Smith MA, Yenilmez BO, et al. Tribbles-1 regulates hepatic lipogenesis through posttranscriptional regulation of C/EBPα. J Clin Invest. 2015 Oct 1;125(10):3809–18.
Bauer RC, Tohyama J, Cui J, Cheng L, Yang J, Zhang X, et al. Knockout of Adamts7, a novel coronary artery disease locus in humans, reduces atherosclerosis in mice. Circulation. 2015 Mar 31;131(13):1202–13.
Bauer RC, Stylianou IM, Rader DJ. Functional validation of new pathways in lipoprotein metabolism identified by human genetics. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2011 Apr;22(2):123–8.