Research Bio
The Olzmann research group employs a combination of systems biology, chemical biology, and cell biology strategies to elucidate the principles that regulate cellular lipid homeostasis. They have made several important advances in our understanding of the regulation and functions of neutral lipid storage organelles called lipid droplets. Dysregulation of lipid droplets and lipid metabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including prevalent metabolic diseases (e.g. obesity and fatty liver disease) and cancer. In addition, they have also made key discoveries of cellular mechanisms that prevent lipotoxic damage in cancer, such as the accumulation of oxidatively damaged phospholipids during a regulated cell death process called ferroptosis. Current research in the Olzmann lab aims to leverage these findings to develop new therapeutics to treat therapy-resistant forms of cancer.
Research Expertise and Interest
lipid droplet, lipotoxicity, ferroptosis, ubiquitin, proteasome, ER protein quality control, metabolism, cancer, drug resistance, metabolic disease
In the News
2025 MTI Innovator Awardees Announced
Bakar Fellows Program Names Seven New Spark Award Recipients
Nine young professors receive Presidential Early Career Awards
Teaching
Senior Research Thesis [MCELLBI 191]
Supervised Internship [MCELLBI 197]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [MCELLBI 199]
Therapeutic Modalities [MCELLBI 220]
Research Review in Molecular Therapeutics: Mechanisms of lipid homeostasis and lipotoxicity [MCELLBI 229H]
Research [MCELLBI 292]
Supervised Independent Study [MCELLBI 99]
Cell Biology: from Discovery to Disease [MCELLBI C130]
Honors Research [MCELLBI H196A]
Honors Research [MCELLBI H196B]
Neuroscience Graduate Research [NEU 292]
Neuroscience Research Review [NEU 295]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [NUSCTX 199]
Introduction to Research in Nutritional Sciences [NUSCTX 211B]
Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Research [NUSCTX 299]
Cell Biology: from Discovery to Disease [NUSCTX C130]
Honors Research [NUSCTX H196]
Honors Research [NUSCTX H196]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [MCELLBI 199]
Research Review in Molecular Therapeutics: Mechanisms of lipid homeostasis and lipotoxicity [MCELLBI 229H]
Research [MCELLBI 292]
Supervised Independent Study [MCELLBI 99]
Honors Research [MCELLBI H196A]
Neuroscience Graduate Research [NEU 292]
Neuroscience Research Review [NEU 295]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [NUSCTX 199]
Introduction to Research in Nutritional Sciences [NUSCTX 211A]
Research Review in Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology [NUSCTX 296A]
Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Research [NUSCTX 299]
Honors Research [NUSCTX H196]
Supervised Internship [MCELLBI 197]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [MCELLBI 199]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [MCELLBI 199]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [NUSCTX 199]
Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Research [NUSCTX 299]
Senior Research Thesis [MCELLBI 191]
Supervised Internship [MCELLBI 197]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [MCELLBI 199]
Therapeutic Modalities [MCELLBI 220]
Research Review in Molecular Therapeutics: Mechanisms of lipid homeostasis and lipotoxicity [MCELLBI 229H]
Research [MCELLBI 292]
Supervised Independent Study [MCELLBI 99]
Cell Biology: from Discovery to Disease [MCELLBI C130]
Honors Research [MCELLBI H196A]
Honors Research [MCELLBI H196B]
Neuroscience Graduate Research [NEU 292]
Neuroscience Research Review [NEU 295]
Supervised Independent Study and Research [NUSCTX 199]
Introduction to Research in Nutritional Sciences [NUSCTX 211B]
Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Research [NUSCTX 299]
Cell Biology: from Discovery to Disease [NUSCTX C130]
Honors Research [NUSCTX H196]
Honors Research [NUSCTX H196]