Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor


The long-term goal of Dr. Natarajan's research program is to develop a nutraceutical approach to mitigate liver and placental lipotoxicity that occurs during the acute fatty liver of pregnancy and maternal obesity, respectively. Trophoblasts are specialized cells in the placenta that facilitate nutrient transport to the developing fetus. They have identified that dietary palmitoleate, an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid is protective against placental lipoapoptosis caused due to exposure to lipotoxic fatty acids that are elevated in the acute fatty liver during pregnancy and maternal obesity. Further, they are also interested in elucidating the role of placental trophoblast infection with Zika virus and the protective role of dietary-palmitoleate supplementation in preventing Zika virus-induced placental trophoblast apoptosis. Identifying palmitoleate as a cytoprotective nutrient will result in potential nutrient therapy for the prevention of devastating consequences of fetal organ infection with the Zika virus.

Education

2008

PH.D., BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, DR. MGR MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, TAMILNADU, INDIA

2001

M.S., BIOCHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS, TAMILNADU, INDIA

1999

B.S., BIOCHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS, TAMILNADU, INDIA

Professsional Experience

2016-Present

Assistant Professor
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

2014-2015

Instructor
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE

2012-2014

Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE

2008-2012

Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE

2001-2008

Graduate Student
Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamilnadu, India

Memberships

2017

Member, Society for the Study of Reproduction

2016

Member, American Society for Nutrition

2015

Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science

2014

Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Publications

PubMed
Google Scholar

Honors

2017

Editor-in-charge to Journal Diabesity

2015

Consulting Editor to Journal of Hepatic Medicine: Evidence and Research

2015

Travel Award to attend AASLD and Industry Colloquium: Novel Targets and Therapies in Liver Disease

2006

Young Scientist Travel Award, 20th IUBMB Conference

2004

Shakuntala Amir Chand Prize, Indian Council of Medical Research, Govt. of India