How do hepatocytes organize their metabolism?

Natalie Porat-Shliom, M.Sc., Ph.D., is a Stadtman Investigator in the Thoracic and GI
Malignancies Branch of the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute
(NCI/NIH), where she leads the Cell Biology and Imaging Section. She is an
Israeli‑American cell biologist and microscopist whose work focuses on applying
advanced light and intravital microscopy to understand how mitochondrial organization
and tissue architecture shape liver physiology and cancer.
Dr. Porat-Shliom received her B.Sc. in Biology, M.Sc. in Neurobiology, and Ph.D. in Cell
Biology from Tel Aviv University. Her doctoral research focused on investigating
endocytosis and Ras signaling using live‑cell imaging. She then completed postdoctoral
training with Dr. Roberto Weigert at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research, where she specialized in intravital microscopy to study mitochondrial
dynamics in salivary glands, work that was recognized with an NIH Pathway to
Independence (K99/R00) Award.
Since establishing her own group at NCI in 2018, Dr. Porat-Shliom has developed
integrated molecular, biochemical, and imaging platforms to dissect liver zonation,
nutrient sensing, and mitochondrial remodeling in normal tissue, metabolic dysfunction-
associated steatotic liver disease, and liver cancer, with the goal of understanding tumor
heterogeneity. She is the chair of the NCI Women's Science Advisor Committee, serves
on the editorial board of Cancer Prevention Research, and is actively involved in
mentoring and career-development programs for early-career scientists.