Prof. David D. Moore is a professor of Cell Biology at Baylor College of Medicine. Prof. Moore’s primary research interest is in functions of members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. As a world leading scientist, Dr. Moore is working to understand the roles of the newer members of this superfamily, particularly their impact on metabolic and oncogenic pathways in the liver. Recently, his lab found that both FXR and PPARα regulate hepatic autophagy and FXR regulates a number of key metabolic target genes including SHP, an unusual orphan receptor. Dr. Moore will discuss his new findings about the mechanism of action of nuclear receptors FXR and PPARα in liver energy balance.

Prof. Steven Kliewer is currently a professor of molecular biology and pharmacology and holds the Hamon distinguished chair in basic cancer research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Prof. Kliewer has been working on nuclear receptors and their roles in xenobiotic and lipid metabolism. One of his great achievements was the discovery that the fatty acid receptor PPAR-gamma is the molecular target for the antidiabetic glitazone class of drugs. His major research interest is in endocrine FGFs (fibroblast growth factors). FGF21 is an atypical member of the FGF family that can function as a hormone. At this symposium, he will present his recent research on the metabolic hormone FGF21, a key regulator of fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism. He will discuss how FGF21 causes weight loss and improves insulin sensitivity in obese animals.

Prof. Kyong Soo Park is a professor of internal medicine in the division of endocrinology and metabolism, Seoul National University College of Medicine. He is currently the Chairperson of the Board of Director of the Korean Society of Lipidology and Atherosclerosis, President of the Korean Genome Organization, and Vice President of the Korean Endocrine Society. His research focuses on the genetics and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, mitochondrial dysfunction and mechanism of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. Recently, his lab identified a novel regulator of fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-specific proteases (SENPs). He will present his recent works on novel mechanism of fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle at this plenary session.