Energy metabolism underlies all facets of human health. The rates of obesity and the associated comorbidities including type II diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are at all-time highs in not only the West, but the East as well. Understanding how energy metabolism is regulated is therefore of primary importance worldwide.

This symposium would begin by highlighting the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in control of energy homeostasis. In the first session, work from prominent researchers would focus on how our cells synthesize, store, and utilize fats. The second session would focus on the molecular signaling that occurs in organelles that control energy homeostasis, including the ER and mitochondria. The symposium will also take a whole-body view of understanding obesity and obesity-related diseases by focusing on the complex crosstalk that occurs between tissues to regulate energy homeostasis and influence pathology. Session three would focus on the role that adipocytes and adipose play not only in storing lipids, but sensing stimuli in the environment and signaling to other tissues. Session four would examine the complex role that the liver plays in energy homeostasis. Finally, we would discuss some very timely and exciting roles that inflammation and immune signaling as well as the microbiome play in driving obesity and obesity-related disorders.

Topics:

• Lipid metabolism and storage
• Organelles and signaling underlying obesity pathogenesis
• Cross-tissue communication in obesity and obesity-related disease—adipose
• Cross-tissue communication in obesity and obesity-related disease—liver
• Immune metabolism and microbiome in obesity and metabolic disease