Lab Members

My project focuses on characterizing the roles and molecular mechanisms of a phospholipid remodeling enzyme, Lpcat3, in intestinal function and homeostasis using mouse models.

My research focuses on understanding the physiological importance of membrane lipid diversity in adipose tissue metabolism and thermogenesis.

Research interests:

• White adipose tissue (WAT) stores energy as triglycerides and releases free fatty acids in times of metabolic requirement. WAT dysfunction contributes to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. At molecular level, there are cascades of biochemical and transcriptional events that orchestrate the formation of WAT, a process known as adipogenesis. I am interested in learning about the transcriptional basis of adipogenesis utilizing Next Generation Sequencing and Data analysis techniques


• Brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates stored chemical energy in the form of heat through the induction of thermogenic genes such as Ucp1. BAT mass inversely correlates with body mass index and has been ascribed an anti-obesity function. Recent studies have revealed the ability of WAT to activate a subpopulation of cells in inguinal WAT (iWAT) known as “beige” cells express UCP1 and carries out thermogenesis. My other research interest is focused on how the adipose microenvironment, eg. Immune cells modulate adipocyte-specific increase or decrease in thermogenesis.


• Rajbhandari, P., Thomas, B, Feng, A., Hong, C, Vergnes, L., Wang, J., Sallam, T., Wang, B., Sandhu, J., Seldin, MM., Lusis, AJ., Fong. L., Young, SG., Reue, K., Smale, T., and Tontonoz, P. Interleukin-10 Signaling Alters Chromatin Architecture in Adipose to Limit Thermogenesis and Energy expenditure.  Cell. 2018; 172, 1, 218-233.e1 e217doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.11.019


• Seldin, MM., Koplev,S., Rajbhandari, P., Vergnes, L., Rosenberg, GM., Gharakhanian, R., Che, N., Pan,C., Mäkinen, S., Meng, Y., Shih, DM., Civelek, M., Parks. BW., Kim, ED., Norheim, F., Krishnan, KC., Hasin-Brumshtein,Y., Mehrabian, M., Laakso, M., Drevon, CA., Koistinen, HA., Tontonoz, P., Reue, K., Cantor, RM., Björkegren, JLM., and Lusis, AJ. A strategy for discovery of endocrine interactions with application to whole-body metabolism.  Cell Metabolism. 2018; 27, 5, 1138-1155.e6.


• Sallam, T., Jones, M., Thomas, B., Wu, X., Gilliand,T., Qian, K., Eskin, A., Casero, D., Zhang, Z., Sandhu, J., Salisbury, A., Rajbhandari, P., Civelek, M., Hong, C., Ito, A., Liu, X., Daniel, B., Lusis, AJ., Whitelegge, J., Nagy, L., Castrillo, A., Smale, S., and Tontonoz, P. Epigenetic regulation of macrophage cholesterol efflux and atherogenesis by the noncoding RNA MeXis.  Nature Medicine. 2018; 24(3):304-312 4.


• Wang, J, Rajbhandari, P, Damianov, A, Han, A, Waki, A, Villanueva, C, Nielsen, R, Mandrup, S., Reue, K, Young, SG, Whitelegge, J, Saez, E, Black, DL, Tontonoz, P. The paraspeckle protein Pspc1 promotes the differentiation-dependent nuclear export of adipogenic RNAs.  Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2017 Mar; 127(3):987-1004.


• Zhang, Li, Rajbhandari, P., Priest, C., Wu, X., Vallim, TA., Sallam, T., Temel, R. Sallam, T., and Tontonoz, P. Inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis Through RNF145-mediated Ubiquitination of SCAP.  eLife. 2017; 6:e28766 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.28766.


• Zhou, Z., Ribas, V., Rajbhandari, P., Drew, B.G., Moore, T.M., Fluitt, A.M., Reddish, B.R., Whitney, K., Georgia S., Vergnes, L., Reue, K., Liesa, M., Shirihai, O., Bliek, A.V., Mahata, S.K., Tiano,J.P. Hewitt S.C.,,Tontonoz, P., Korach, K.S., Mauvais-Jarvis, F., and Hevener, A.L. Estrogen Receptor α Protects Pancreatic β-cells from Apoptosis by Preserving Mitochondrial Function and Suppressing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.  J. Biol. Chem. 2017; doi:10.1074/jbc.M117.805069


• Song NJ, Rajbhandari P*, Choi S*, Chang SH, Kim S, Vergnes, L, Kwon SM, Yoon JH, Lee S, Ku JM, Lee JS, Reue K, Koo SH, Tontonoz P, Park KW. Prdm4 induction by the small molecule butein promotes white adipose tissue browning.  Nat. Chem. Biol.. 2016 Jul;12(7):479-81. *Co-authors.

My research focuses on characterizing the molecular and physiological functions of novel cholesterol trafficking proteins.

The focus of my research is the signaling pathways and its downstream effectors that orchestrate lipid homeostasis in brain cells, including neuron, microglia, and astrocytes; as well as the link between dysregulated lipid metabolism and chronic neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. In the past several years, I have been focusing on the physiological function of E3 ubiquitin ligase Idol in the brain. My research demonstrated that Idol regulates brain ApoE receptors expression, ApoE clearance, and Aβ amyloidosis. I am currently studying the impacts of Idol to synaptogenesis in primary neuron culture, and to learning and memory in vivo.

My studies are focused on understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms of cholesterol absorption, transport and metabolism in enterocytes.

My research focuses on the regulation of lipid metabolism in liver with an interest in insulin resistance and fatty liver disease.

My research interest focuses on adipose tissue and metabolic syndrome. Currently I’m studying novel regulatory factors that control adipogenesis on the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level. I’m also interested in molecular mechanisms of white adipose tissue browning.

My research focuses on elucidating the functions of Asters, a new cholesterol transport protein family, in cellular cholesterol transport and sterol homeostasis in vivo. I am currently investigating tissue-specific roles of Asters in cholesterol metabolism.

My research focuses on investigating the novel regulatory circuits controlling metabolic homeostasis and atherosclerosis. I am currently characterizing molecular and physiological functions of lipid metabolism genes, with an emphasis on RNA binding protein Raly and lncRNA LeXis.

My research focuses on defining novel mechanisms by which the cell senses and transports cholesterol.

My research focuses on novel molecular and physiological mechanisms that control adaptive thermogenesis and mitochondrial bioenergetics.

Ph.D. Academic Medical Center-University of Amsterdam (AMC-UvA). My research focuses on novel molecular and physiological mechanisms that control adaptive thermogenesis and mitochondrial bioenergeticClose

I am interested in lipid metabolism and transport.

My research focuses on mechanisms controlling lipid utilization in metabolic organs.

My research focuses on lipid metabolism in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), a specialized immune population that directly kills malignant cells. I aim to unravel the pathways that facilitate the trafficking and utilization of beneficial and harmful lipids in CTLs, and to identify the molecular mechanism by which sterols influence CTL effector function. I am also investigating whether manipulating such processes can unleash CTL response and accelerate cancer clearance.

I am interested in the interplay between adipocyte lipid metabolism and systemic metabolism.

Zander received his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, his M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College, and Ph.D. from The Rockefeller University. He completed his internal medicine residency at UCLA and is currently pursuing gastroenterology fellowship and post-doctoral research as part of the UCLA STAR program. He is studying lipid metabolism in the liver as it relates to metabolic diseases.

My research focuses on the regulation of lipid metabolism and the connection between lipids and metabolic diseases.