Postdoctoral Profiles

Current Research: 
My current research focuses on the identification of genes involved in the regulation of adipogenesis and adipocyte biology. Adipose tissue plays a crucial role in the regulation of whole-body metabolism and energy homeostasis, and dysregulated adipose tissue function, for example during obesity, is implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that control adipose tissue development and function should therefore improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of these obesity-associated diseases.

Selected Publications:
Lagathu C, Christodoulides C, Virtue S, Cawthorn WP, Franzin C, Kimber WA, Dalla Nora E, Campbell M, Medina-Gomez G, Cheyette BNR, Vidal-Puig AJ and Sethi JK. Dact1, a nutritionally regulated preadipocyte gene controls adipogenesis by co-ordinating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling network. Diabetes. 2009 Mar; 58(3): 609-19.

Boyle KB, Hadaschik D, Virtue S, Cawthorn WP, Ridley SH, O'Rahilly S and Siddle K. The transcription factors Egr1 and Egr2 have opposing influences on adipocyte differentiation. Cell Death Diff. 2009 May; 16(5): 782-9.

Cawthorn WP and Sethi JK. TNF- α and Adipocyte Biology. FEBS Letters (Special Issue on Metabolic Disease) 582(1):117-31, 2008

Cawthorn WP, Heyd F, Hegyi K, Sethi JK. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibits adipogenesis via a beta-catenin/TCF4(TCF7L2)-dependent pathway. Cell Death Differ. 2007 Jul; 14(7):1361-73.

Wheatcroft SB, Kearney MT, Shah AM, Ezzat VA, Miell JR, Modo M, Williams SC, Cawthorn WP, Medina-Gomez G, Vidal-Puig A, Sethi JK, Crossey PA. Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein- 2 protects against the development of obesity and insulin resistance. Diabetes. 2007 Feb; 56(2):285-94.

Christodoulides C, Laudes M, Cawthorn WP, Schinner S, Soos M, O’Rahilly S, Sethi JK, Vidal- Puig A. The Wnt1 antagonist Dickkopf-1 and its receptors are coordinately regulated during early human adipogenesis. J Cell Sci. 2006 Jun 15; 119(Pt 12):2613-20.

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