Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Department of Medicine

Faculty Profiles
[Return To Index page]
photo Sadeesh K. Ramakrishnan, DVM, PhD

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Email: RAMAKS@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-648-4293
Contact
Office: 200 Lothrop Street
W1057 Biomedical Science Tower
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
 
Phone: 412-648-4293
Fax: 412-648-3290
E-mail: RAMAKS@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Emily Welsh
Address: 200 Lothrop Street
W1026-7B Biomedical Science Tower
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email: ejw74@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-648-9770
Fax: 412-648-3290
Education and Training
Education
DVM, Rajiv Gandhi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 2004
MS, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, 2006
PhD, University of Toledo, 2012
Training
Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Michigan
Research Interest
Dr. Ramakrishnan’s research interest is to understand the role of gastrointestinal hypoxia signaling in metabolism, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Tissues constantly experience a dynamic change in cellular oxygen levels influenced by oxygen consumption and utilization. Cellular response to changes in oxygen tension is mediated at the molecular level by the highly conserved transcription factors, hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF). Numerous studies have established the important roles of hypoxia signaling in various pathological disease models. However, the physiological role of hypoxia signaling is not well understood. The overarching goal of Dr. Ramakrishnan's research program is to determine the conserved role of hypoxia signaling in metabolic elasticity as an impetus to design effective therapies to treat metabolic diseases and their complications. The goals of his research are to: (i) determine the mechanisms by which the physiological cues activate hypoxic responses, (ii) determine the role of hypoxic signaling in the sensing and regulation of metabolic homeostasis, (iii) determine the role of hypoxia-mediated metabolic adaptation in cancer and (iv) identify isoform specificity and therapeutic use of HIFs in metabolic diseases and cancer.
Educational Interest
Dr. Ramakrishnan is interested in mentoring undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral fellows and clinical research fellows in metabolic and cancer research.
Publications
Selected Publications:
Ramakrishnan, S. K., Zhang, H., Ma, X., Jung, I., Schwartz, A. J., Triner, D., Devenport, S. N., Das, N. K., Xue, X., Zeng, M. Y., Hu, Y., Mortensen, R. M., Greenson, J. K., Cascalho, M., Wobus, C. E., Colacino, J. A., Nunez, G., Rui, L., Shah, Y. M. Intestinal non-canonical NF?B signaling shapes the local and systemic immune response. Nat Commun. 2019; 10(1): 660.
Suresh, M. V., Balijepalli, S., Zhang, B., Singh, W., Swamy, S., Panicker, S., Dolgachev, V. A., Subramanian, C., Ramakrishnan, S. K., Thomas, B., Rao, T. C., Delano, M. J., Machado-Aranda, D., Shah, Y. M., Raghavendran, K. Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF)-1a Promotes Inflammation and Injury Following Aspiration-Induced Lung Injury in Mice. Shock. 2018; Epub ahead of print.
Triner, D., Devenport, S. N., Ramakrishnan, S. K., Ma, X., Frieler, R. A., Greenson, J. K., Inohara, N., Nunez, G., Colacino, J. A., Mortensen, R. M., Shah, Y. M. Neutrophils Restrict Tumor-Associated Microbiota to Reduce Growth and Invasion of Colon Tumors in Mice. Gastroenterology. 2018; S0016-5085(18): 35399-X.
Schwartz, A. J., Das, N. K., Ramakrishnan, S. K., Jain, C., Jurkovic, M., Wu, J., Nemeth, E., Lakhal-Littleton, S., Colacino, J. A., Shah, Y. M. Hepatic hepcidin/intestinal HIF-2a axis maintains iron absorption during iron deficiency and overload. J Clin Invest. 2018; 129(1): 336-348.
Turula, H., Bragazzi Cunha, J., Mainou, B. A., Ramakrishnan, S. K., Wilke, C. A., Gonzalez-Hernandez, M. B., Pry, A., Fava, J., Bassis, C. M., Edelman, J., Shah, Y. M., Corthesy, B., Moore, B. B., Wobus, C. E. Natural Secretory Immunoglobulins Promote Enteric Viral Infections. J Virol. 2018; Epub ahead of print.
Ramakrishnan SK, Shah YM. A central role for hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2? in hepatic glucose homeostasis. Nutrition and Healthy Aging. 2017.
McEnerney, L., Dunacn, K., Bang, B. R., Elmasry, S., Li, M., Miki, T., Ramakrishnan, S. K., Shah, Y. M., Saito, T. Dual modulation of human hepatic zonation via canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways. Exp Mol Med. 2017; 49(12): e413.
Schofield HK, Park M, Ramakrishnan SK, Kim E, Shi J, Omary MB, Shah YM, Pasca di Magliano M. Pancreatic HIF2 overexpression results in disrupted morphology resembling human chronic pancreatitis and mucinous cystic neoplasm. CMGH. 2017.
Xie C, Yagai T, Sun D, Wang Q, Liang X, Jiang C, Li J, Ramakrishnan SK, Xue X, Krausz KW, Liu Y, Shah YM, Jiang C, Gonzalez FJ. Activation of intestinal hypoxia-inducible factor 2a during obesity mediates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Nat Med. 2017.
McEnerney L, Duncan K, Bang B, Elmasry S, Li M, Miki T, Ramakrishnan S, Shah Y, Saito T. Canonical and Non-canonical Wnt pathways Dual-Modulation of Human Hepatic Zonation. J Experimental and Molecular Medicine. 2017.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: The Role of Intestinal Hypoxia Signaling in Glucose Homeostasis
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, & Kidney Disease
Grant Number: R00 DK110537
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2021
Notable Achievements
K99 NIDDK Pathway to Independence, 2016-2021
Postdoctoral Research Award, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2016
Cozzarelli Prize from the National Academy of Sciences, 2016
Donna Dickenson Sublett Award for Advancement of Cardiovascular Research, American Heart Association, 2015
American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
Copyright © 2022 Department of Medicine / University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Site maintained by the Department of Medicine domwebsite@PITT.EDU