Cell Biology Program
The Farese & Walther Lab
Research
The Farese & Walther laboratory investigates cellular lipid and energy metabolism, in particular the mechanisms and physiology of neutral lipid synthesis and storage in lipid droplets. More broadly the lab studies the mechanisms how cells regulate the abundance of lipids, how they store lipids to buffer fluctuation in their availability, and how these processes function in membrane biology and cell physiology, and how dysfunction of these pathways leads to diseases, including cancer, metabolic diseases, and neurodegeneration.
For more information about the Farese and Walther Lab, please visit our website.
Ongoing Projects
- Biology of Cellular Energy Metabolism
The supply and demand for metabolic energy in cells fluctuates. Therefore, organisms have evolved mechanisms to store metabolic energy. The most efficient way cells store energy is in the form of highly reduced carbons found in triacylglycerols (TGs). Although energy storage is inherently beneficial, exceeding the capacity for cells to store TGs has led to metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
- Lysosomal Lipid Metabolism and Neurodegeneration
Increasing evidence points to the contribution of endosome and lysosome dysfunction in the development of many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We study metabolism of the endo-lysosomal system, focusing on how it regulates the metabolism of membrane lipids, in particular sphingolipids. We are testing the hypothesis that accumulation of toxic sphingolipids and glycosphingolipids leads to neurodegeneration in diseases such as ALS, FTD, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
- Systems Biology and Metabolism
Large-scale, quantitative, high-quality data sets often form the basis for discovery. We employ techniques such as mass spectrometry, genome-perturbations screens, and high-content microcopy to generate hypotheses or models for biological processes. For example, our laboratory uses powerful state-of-the-art proteomics and lipidomics to obtain global insights into the regulation of lipid metabolism. Once we have identified important regulatory circuitry, we combine our ability to determine abundances of molecules with methodologies, such as live cell imaging, to generate hypotheses and investigate these dynamic processes on the cellular and physiological level.
People
Program Chair, Cell Biology Program; SKI Professor, Weill Cornell; Enid A. Haupt Chair in Cell Biology; MSK Investigator, HHMI
Member, Cell Biology Program; SKI Professor; Alfred P. Sloan Chair
Visiting Investigator (HHMI)
Research Associate
Research Scholar
Graduate Student
Postdoctoral Fellow (HHMI)
Research Specialist
Postdoctoral Fellow
Graduate Student
Research Associate
Research Technician
Senior Administrative Assistant
Research Specialist
Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellow
Graduate Student
Scientific Research Lead
Research Specialist
Research Technician
Assistant to Chair
Scientific Administrative Coordinator
Postdoctoral Fellow
Lab Manager
Senior Research Scientist