The Sampath Laboratory investigates how lipid metabolism regulates metabolic health, tissue homeostasis, and chronic disease. Our research focuses on the mechanisms by which dietary and endogenous lipids influence cellular function, inter-organ communication, and tissue responses to metabolic and inflammatory stress. By combining genetically engineered mouse models with ex vivo studies using cells and organoids, lipidomic analyses, molecular biology, and physiological approaches, we seek to identify pathways that can be targeted through nutritional and therapeutic interventions to improve human health.
Regulation of lipid metabolism and its impact on tissue and whole body health
Fatty acids, both those generated by the body, and ones that come from the diet, are subject to modification. One such modification is the desaturation of saturated fatty acids by delta-9 desaturases. Delta-9 desaturases such as stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) insert a double bond between carbons 9 and 10 of many saturated fatty acids, generating a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) product.
We and others have demonstrated that SCD expression is both highly conserved and acutely regulated in response to various physiological stimuli, including fasting-refeeding, high-fat or high-sucrose consumption, and others. Modulation of SCD expression in various tissues elicits dramatic phenotypes such as alterations in weight gain and food intake, insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, and inflammation.
Current projects in the lab are focused on delineating a role for tissue-specific expression of various SCD isoforms on diverse pathologies including metabolic and cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancers. You can read about ongoing projects in the Research Tab. You can find a complete list of publications on our NCBI Bibliography.
We are always interested in hearing from talented undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, and research staff candidates who are excited about metabolism, lipid biology, intestinal physiology, and inflammation.
Intestinal Lipid Metabolism and Inter-Organ Communication
The intestine is increasingly recognized as a central regulator of systemic metabolism. Our research investigates how dietary and endogenous lipids are sensed, processed, and utilized within the intestine and how these processes influence whole-body energy balance, glucose homeostasis, and metabolic health.
A major focus of the laboratory is understanding how the intestine communicates with distant organs, including the liver, pancreas, adipose tissue, and brain. We study how bioactive lipids, enteroendocrine hormones, and other intestine-derived signals coordinate metabolic responses and how disruption of these pathways contributes to obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic diseases.
Image from Burchat and Sampath PMID:39278403
Lipids, Intestinal Inflammation, and Ferroptotic Cell Death
Maintenance of intestinal health requires precise regulation of epithelial metabolism and barrier function. Emerging evidence suggests that disturbances in lipid homeostasis can promote oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue injury.
Our research examines how specific lipid species and lipid metabolic pathways regulate intestinal inflammation, epithelial integrity, and susceptibility to injury. We are particularly interested in understanding the role of monounsaturated fatty acids in protecting against oxidative damage and ferroptotic cell death. These studies aim to uncover new therapeutic opportunities for inflammatory bowel disease and other disorders characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation.
Histology of mouse colons from models of chemically-induced colitis; images courtesy Camille Duchamp, Sampath Lab
Intestinal Cell Identity and Epithelial Homeostasis
The intestinal epithelium is one of the most rapidly renewing tissues in the body and relies on tightly regulated programs of stem cell renewal, differentiation, and cellular adaptation to maintain tissue health. Our research seeks to understand how lipid metabolism regulates epithelial cell identity, lineage specification, and tissue homeostasis.
We are particularly interested in how nutrient availability and cellular lipid composition influence epithelial function and adaptation during physiological and pathological stress. These studies seek to define fundamental mechanisms governing intestinal health and regeneration.
Image adapted from Selby and Sampath PMID:41786123
We are always interested in hearing from talented undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, and research staff candidates who are excited about metabolism, lipid biology, intestinal physiology, and inflammation.
We are a group of energetic and diverse individuals with a passion for understanding how nutrients and genetics influence overall health. Alumni from the lab have continued their careers both in academia and in the private sector. The lab is funded by the NIH, the American Heart Association, and the Busch Biomedical Grant Program and is housed within the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH). We are always interested in welcoming talented postdoctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students to the team.
The lab Halloween Costume 2025 – Lipid Huntrix (if you know, you know)
PI: Harini Sampath
I am an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences and resident faculty at the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, where I also direct the Quantitative Lipidomics Core. I use my training in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition to identify cellular alterations that underlie metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. My work has been funded by the NIH, the Marie-Curie Foundation, and the American Heart Association and has been published in numerous leading journals. I received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my B.S. from the University of New Hampshire, both in Nutritional Sciences. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, gardening, and spending time with my family and friends.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Natalie Burchat: Having completed my doctoral training in the Sampath Lab, I am currently a Cancer Metabolism and Tumor-Host Interactions T32 grant Postdoctoral Fellow. I am leading a project focused on elucidating the role of delta-9 desaturases in the intestine and colon. In my free time, I like to exercise and to cook.
Graduate Students
Matthew Selby: I am a Nutritional Sciences graduate student. I joined the lab in 2022, and my research examines how tissue-specific stearoyl-CoA desaturases modulate whole-body lipid and energy homeostasis. In my free time, I enjoy weightlifting, gardening, and being outraged at TikTok dietary advice.
Souvik Mandal: I am a graduate student in Nutritional Sciences, and I joined the lab in 2025. My research is focused on the role of MUFAs in adipocyte function and adipose tissue health.
Linh Vu: I am a graduate student in Nutritional Sciences and joined the lab in 2025. I am currently investigating the impact of intestinal lipids on interorgan communication, including the gut–liver signaling axis. Outside of research, I enjoy spending time with my two cats, Palette and Graphite, as well as traveling, journaling, and photography.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate researchers are a vital part of our team. Each year, we host several talented undergraduates from various departments, including Nutritional Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics, Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Food Science and more. In addition, Dr. Sampath serves as a trainer in several prestigious undergraduate research pipelines, including the Aresty Program, the RUYES Program, the IMSD/McNair program, and the G.H.Cook Scholar program. Our undergraduates go on to Medical school, graduate training programs around the world, or the biotech industry. If you would like to be a part of the team, please contact Dr. Sampath with your CV, transcript, and reasons for wanting to join our team.
Current Undergraduates
Lakshmi Gayathri Pantula – Cell Biology and Neuroscience – Class of 2026
Vaanya Salwan – Genetics – Class of 2028
Hemtej Gundra – Cell Biology and Neuroscience – Class of 2027
Ayomide Amos – Biological Sciences – Class of 2027
