Leonid Zingman, MD

Contact Information

Office: 2269B CBRB
Phone: 319-384-2917
Faculty Profile


Brief description of current research:

My current research is focused on the development of new approaches to the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity. We approach body weight as a balance between energy intake and consumption. Due to limited food availability in the natural habitat, evolutionary pressures favor systems that conserve energy and prevent body weight loss. While naturally protective, these energy-conserving mechanisms under conditions of hyperalimentation and sedentary lifestyle promote obesity. Therefore, comprehension of the mechanisms governing the balance between energy intake and utilization, and the consequences of careful interference with energy-sparing systems, is vital for advances in obesity treatment and prevention.

 In particularly, we are focused on defining the molecular mechanism of skeletal muscle energy efficiency control. Specifically, at this point we are investigating how gating and expression regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle KATP channels impact energy use. Detailed understanding of these KATP channel related mechanisms will reveal new avenues to promote health and wellbeing by shifting muscle and bodily energy balance in favor of energy use to treat or prevent obesity, or toward energy conservation in cases of heart failure and cancer related cachexia.

3 most influential diabetes/obesity/metabolism publications:

  • Alekseev A, Reyes S, Yamada S, Hodgson-Zingman D, Sattiraju S, Zhu Z, Sierra A, Gerbin M, Coetzee W,  Goldhamer D, Terzic A, Zingman L. Sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive K+ channels control energy expenditure determining body weight. Cell Metabolism 11:58-69, 2010, PMID: 20074528.
  • Zingman LV, Zhu Z, Sierra A, Stepniak E, Burnett CM-L., Maksymov G, Anderson ME,. Coetzee WA, Hodgson-Zingman DM. Exercise-induced expression of cardiac KATP channels promotes action potential shortening and energy conservation. J Mol Cell Cardiol 51:72-81; 2011, PMC310362.