229 Filley Hall
Lincoln, NE 68583-0900
(402)-805-7520
Lab Page
Assistant Professor
The long-term goal of Dr. Natarajan's research program is to develop a nutraceutical approach to mitigate liver and placental lipotoxicity that occurs during the acute fatty liver of pregnancy and maternal obesity, respectively. Trophoblasts are specialized cells in the placenta that facilitate nutrient transport to the developing fetus. They have identified that dietary palmitoleate, an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid is protective against placental lipoapoptosis caused due to exposure to lipotoxic fatty acids that are elevated in the acute fatty liver during pregnancy and maternal obesity. Further, they are also interested in elucidating the role of placental trophoblast infection with Zika virus and the protective role of dietary-palmitoleate supplementation in preventing Zika virus-induced placental trophoblast apoptosis. Identifying palmitoleate as a cytoprotective nutrient will result in potential nutrient therapy for the prevention of devastating consequences of fetal organ infection with the Zika virus.
Education
2008 |
PH.D., BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, DR. MGR MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, TAMILNADU, INDIA |
2001 |
M.S., BIOCHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS, TAMILNADU, INDIA |
1999 |
B.S., BIOCHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS, TAMILNADU, INDIA |
Professsional Experience
2016-Present |
Assistant Professor |
2014-2015 |
Instructor |
2012-2014 |
Postdoctoral Research Associate |
2008-2012 |
Postdoctoral Research Associate |
2001-2008 |
Graduate Student |
Memberships
2017 | Member, Society for the Study of Reproduction |
2016 | Member, American Society for Nutrition |
2015 | Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science |
2014 | Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science |
Publications
PubMed |
Google Scholar |
Honors
2017 | Editor-in-charge to Journal Diabesity |
2015 | Consulting Editor to Journal of Hepatic Medicine: Evidence and Research |
2015 | Travel Award to attend AASLD and Industry Colloquium: Novel Targets and Therapies in Liver Disease |
2006 | Young Scientist Travel Award, 20th IUBMB Conference |
2004 | Shakuntala Amir Chand Prize, Indian Council of Medical Research, Govt. of India |