Katsu Funai, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Diabetes & Metabolism Research Center
University of Utah
Seminar Information
Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) consists of a series of processes that takes place in the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). Energy flux through OXPHOS appears to be intrinsically modulated by the lipid composition of IMM by mechanisms that are not clearly understood. In particular, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and cardiolipin (CL) are cone-shaped non-bilayer lipids that induce membrane curvature in cristae that may regulate OXPHOS efficiency. We are systematically examining the mitochondrial membrane lipid composition across mammalian tissues to elucidate their roles in adapting to altering energy demand and/or supply.
Katsu Funai is an Associate Professor at the Diabetes & Metabolism Research Center at the University of Utah. Dr. Funai’s lab has been continuously funded by NIH to study the role of lipids in bioenergetics. Originally from Japan, he received his BS/MS at Boston University and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. He then completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Clay Semenkovich’s lab at Washington University in St. Louis to study de novo lipogenesis. In 2013, he opened his lab at East Carolina University and moved to the University of Utah in 2017.