I know what I did last sabbatical... and more!

Dr. Rob Brown
Department of Biochemistry 
Memorial University

Date: November 27, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Room: CSF 1302

After 12 years without great change, I took my first sabbatical. The sabbatical started with what should have been a simple surgery, and ended with the beginning of a torn retina. In between a lot of fiasco, my laboratory continued to gain knowledge on the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL). LPL is an important enzyme that hydrolyzes triacylglycerols and phospholipids from lipoproteins. Products include fatty acids, mono- and di-acylglycerols, and lysophospholipids – all of which could be used for various purposes within cells. Previous work from my laboratory, and work during my sabbatical, showed that lipid hydrolysis products generated by LPL appear to detrimentally influence cell functions and gene transcription profiles, notably in macrophages and breast cancer cell lines. This previous research and some work from the sabbatical will be presented, along with a brief history of the research path that brought me to Memorial.