Trisha Grevengoed appointed Associate Professor

Trisha's appointment comes following an open position advertised by the department. Her research focuses on understanding how lipid metabolism contributes to health and disease, specifically how subtle changes in lipid types can affect molecular bioactivity.

Dietary fats have been both demonized and glorified in popular culture, and even with more nuanced approaches, different types of fats are still often classified as either 'healthy' or 'unhealthy'. However, the body requires fats of all types for various functions, including energy storage, cell structure, and cell-to-cell signaling, and even 'unhealthy' fats play crucial roles.

Trisha's research delves into the roles of various lipids in the body and understanding the effects of dysregulated lipid metabolism in diseases such as atherosclerosis and fatty liver disease. Her group primarily uses animal and cell models, aiming to enhance the translatability of this work through the use of human samples and clinical trials.

"My ambition is for our work to be beneficial from a fundamental scientific perspective while also contributing to improving human health."

• Trisha Grevengoed

Trisha has been part of the department since January 2022, where she established her own group after securing a Hallas-Møller Emerging Investigator grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, supporting new group leaders investigating the human organism and/or the basic mechanisms underlying health and disease.

Head of Department Cathrine Ørskov states:

"I am truly delighted that we have been able to offer Trisha a permanent position as an associate professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Trisha's research is translational and highly relevant to our research environments within endocrinology and metabolism. Through her research and teaching experience, Trisha contributes to providing exciting and research-based education to molecular biomedical students in their second semester."

Prior to joining the department, Trisha completed her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, researching how the heart utilizes different substrates for its constant energy needs and the consequences of reduced metabolic flexibility in the heart, as seen in type 2 diabetes or heart failure. Subsequently, Trisha spent 6 years at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR) as a postdoc and then assistant professor, focusing on metabolic regulation by a bioactive class of lipids.

Trisha comments on her new position:

"I am honored to take on this role as an associate professor at the department. It's a fantastic environment for my research to grow, and there are great opportunities to help guide the next generation of researchers and physicians. I look forward to continuing to be part of this interdisciplinary department focused on improving human health and making a positive impact on society."

Trisha's group is part of the research theme Endocrinology and Metabolism. We at the department congratulate Trisha on her appointment and look forward to following her research in the future.