Juli  Bai, Ph.D.

Obesity, which is characterized by increased adiposity, has reached epidemic proportions globally. The major focus of my research effort concerns the mechanisms underlying obesity-induced insulin resistance, sterile chronic inflammation, and energy imbalance. Particularly, I’m interested in the crosstalk between innate immune cGAS signaling and metabolic dysfunction. We used different tissue-specific transgenic and/or knockout mouse models as well as cell culture studies to elucidate the key signaling mechanism in the regulation of the metabolic diseases. Better understanding of these key mechanisms will provide important information for the development of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of obesity and its related diseases.

• Professional Background

  Education

  • 2006 - PhD - Environmental Medicine - Shanxi University
  • 2003 - MS - Environmental Medicine - Shanxi University
  • 2000 - BS - Biochemistry - Shanxi University
  • Postdoctoral Training - Obesity and Diabetes - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

  Training

  • 2011 - Postdoctoral fellowship - UT Health San Antonio

  Appointments

  • 2/2018 - Instructor/Research - UT Health San Antonio, Pharmacology, San Antonio
  • 2/2019 - Assistant Professor/Research - UT Health San Antonio, Pharmacology, San Antonio

• Research & Grants

  Innovative Basic Science Award of American Diabetes Association

  1-19-IBS-147  (PI: Juli Bai)  01/2019-12-2021

  Title: The role of the cGAS-cGAMP pathway in regulating energy homeostasis.

  The major goal of this study is to determine the role of cGAS-cGAMP pathway in the regulation of energy homeostasis, insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue.

• Publications

  • Mitochondrial stress-activated cGAS-STING pathway inhibits thermogenic program and contributes to overnutrition-induced obesity
  • Potential Roles of Adiponectin Isoforms in Human Obesity with Delayed Wound Healing
  • Rheb promotes brown fat thermogenesis by Notch-dependent activation of the PKA signaling pathway
  • The cGAS-cGAMP-STING Pathway: A Molecular Link Between Immunity and Metabolism
  • DsbA-L prevents obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance by suppressing the mtDNA release-activated cGAS-cGAMP-STING
  • Rheb Inhibits Beiging of White Adipose Tissue via PDE4D5-Dependent Downregulation of the cAMP-PKA Signaling Pathway
  • Hepatic DsbA-L protects mice from diet-induced hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance
  • Grb10 promotes lipolysis and thermogenesis by phosphorylation-dependent feedback inhibition of mTORC1