Professor Lee Roberts

Profile

I am a Chair of Molecular Physiology and Metabolism, a BBSRC-New Investigator and former Diabetes UK RD Lawrence Fellow at the Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, UK. As an undergraduate I studied Biochemistry at the University of Bristol before moving to the University of Cambridge to complete my PhD in the Department of Biochemistry. Following completion of my PhD I was awarded the Leducq Foundation Career Development Award to conduct postdoctoral research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA. Prior to my appointment in Leeds, I was the Elsie Widdowson Fellow at the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research Unit and a Research Fellow at Wolfson College, at the University of Cambridge, UK.

Responsibilities

• Head of Discovery and Translational Science Department

Research interests

My' research focuses on metabolism, the phenotypes and mechanisms of metabolic disease, and the role metabolites play in the homeostatic regulation of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. I have a particular interest in beige and brown adipose tissue, the initiation of the thermogenic response and regulation of fatty acid oxidation in fat tissue, and small molecule inter-organ cross-talk. My research aims to uncover novel treatments for the twin global epidemics of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.

PhD Students: Shaimaa Gad, Hannah Smith, Aysha Ali, Anna Malicka

Group Postdoctoral Research Associates: Dr Amanda MacCannell, Dr Raquel Fernando

Qualifications

• BSc
• PhD

Professional memberships

• Diabetes UK Professional Member
• European Association for the Study of Diabetes
• The Physiological Society

Student education

I teach pharmacology and pharmacokinetics at undergraduate level and metabolism and adipose tissue physiology on a number of postgraduate courses at Masters and PhD level. I supervise a number of PhD students and am enthusiastic to hear from talented individuals with research interests that align with my own. If you are interested in conducting post-doctoral or post-graduate research in the laboratory please make informal contact with me by email, attaching a copy of your curriculum vitae, and if appropriate, identification of a particular funding call.

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine
• Discovery and Translational Science
• Cardiometabolic
• British Heart Foundation - Cardiovascular research
• Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Research Centre

Current postgraduate researchers

• Amanda MacCannell
• Amy Moran

Projects

<li><a href="//phd.leeds.ac.uk/project/1356-licamm-brown-adipose-tissue-derived-small-molecule-interorgan-signalling-in-cardiometabolic-disease">LICAMM Brown adipose tissue-derived small molecule interorgan signalling in cardiometabolic disease</a></li>