Neural Regulation of Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue

Dr. Erica Scheller DDS, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Executive Director of the WashU Center of Regenerative Medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis, MO, USA.

Abstract: Bone marrow adipose tissue, or BMAT, makes up ~70% of the adult human skeleton and contains up to 2-weeks of stored energy. Energy partitioning and utilization is generally controlled by the nervous and endocrine systems, facilitating the function of organs and cells throughout the body. In this seminar, we will discuss the regulation of both regulated and constitutive BMAT within the context of all adipose tissues, and how this regulatory system evolves in states such as end stage starvation and cachexia.

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Speaker Bio: Dr. Erica Scheller is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis. She is also the current Executive Director of the WashU Center of Regenerative Medicine and a Past President of the International Society of Bone Morphometry (ISBM). The Scheller Lab synthesizes concepts from cell biology, physiology, and bioengineering to study the relationships between the nervous system and the skeleton.  We have a directed interest in understanding how neural signals contribute to skeletal and metabolic homeostasis, and how perturbations to this system contribute to bone loss, fracture risk and impaired healing in diseases such as diabetes and cachexia. As part of this, we have a longstanding commitment to the study of bone marrow adipose physiology and it’s role within the body.

Dr. Scheller obtained her combined DDS/PhD degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated in 2011. She completed her post-doctoral training also at the University of Michigan, under the tutorship of Dr. Ormond McDougald, focusing on neuroendocrine regulation of fat and bone metabolism.