Address: 3322 PBDB
Phone: (319) 335-7660
Email: lucas-bondurant@uiowa.edu

Mentor: Matthew Potthoff, PhD

Undergraduate Institution: Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, BS

Year Entered Into Program: 2014

Affiliations

• Molecular & Cellular Biology Program

Research Description

Studying the Pharmalogical Effects of FGF21 in Metabolic Syndrome

FGF21 is liver-derived hormone that shows great promise in treating diabetes. While FGF21 increases insulin sensitivity, the mechanism by which it does this is still not clear. By using diverse genetic mouse models we seek to delineate the tissues and signaling pathway that FGF21 acts upon in order to increase glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity.

Awards

• 4th Annual Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center Symposium Travel Award for selected short talk, 2017
• Poster presentation award, Department of Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Spring 2016
• 1st place best paper competition, University of Iowa, Spring 2016
• Dean's Graduate Research Fellowship, 2014-present
• Sloan Scholar, 2014-present
• NIH T32 Predoctoral Fellowship in Pharmacological Sciences (GM067795), University of Iowa, 2015-present

Publications

1. Bondurant L., Ameka, M., Naber, MC, Markan, KR, Idiga, SO, Acevedo MR, Walsh SA, Ornitz DM and Potthoff MJ.:  FGF21 Regulates Metabolism Through Adipose-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms.  Cell Metab 2594):935-944, 2017.  PMCID: PMC5494834 [Available on 2018-04-04]
2. O von Holstein-Rathlou S*, BonDurant L*, Peltekian L, Naber MC, Yin TC, Claflin KE, Urizar AI, Madsen AN, Ratner C, Holst B, Karstoft K, Vandenbeuch A, Anderson CB, Cassell MD, Thompson AP, Solomon TP, Rahmouni K, Kinnamon SC, Pieper AA, Gillum MP, and Potthoff MJ.:  FGF21 Mediates Endocrine Control of Simple Sugar Intake and Sweet Taste Preference by the Liver. Cell Metab 23(2):335-43, 2016.  PMCID: PMC4756759