Nguyen Laboratory
Key Investigator
- Alexander H. Nguyen, MD, PhD
Liver Lipid Metabolism
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common liver disease in America, affecting one in three adults. While most patients with this condition have an excellent prognosis, a subset of patients develop steatohepatitis, which is characterized by hepatocyte stress and immune cell activation. This chronic damage and inflammation lead to fibrosis, end-stage liver disease, and cancer.
The goal of our research is to understand how lipid metabolism contributes to the development of steatohepatitis. We study genes and cellular processes that function to protect hepatocytes from environmental and genetic stressors. We utilize a broad range of techniques to understand these processes including molecular assays, biochemistry, cellular models, animal models, and patient data. By understanding these pathways, we hope to develop molecular diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools to improve the clinical management of steatotic liver disease.
Honors & Awards
• Research Scholar Award, American Gastroenterological Association, 2023
• Emerging Generation Award, American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2023
• Resident/Fellow Ambassador, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, 2019
• Emerging Liver Scholar Award, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, 2018
About Dr. Nguyen
Dr. Nguyen received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College and doctoral degree from The Rockefeller University. He performed undergraduate research on tumor suppressors with Iswar Hariharan. For his graduate studies with Sohail Tavazoie, he used large-scale functional genomic screening and xenograft animal models to study metabolic mechanisms involved in colorectal cancer metastasis. Dr. Nguyen then completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at UCLA. He performed post-doctoral research with Peter Tontonoz studying regulation of lipid metabolism. His fellowship research training was supported by the UCLA Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) program and a NIH T32 UCLA GI training grant. Dr. Nguyen joined the faculty at the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases in 2023. He was awarded an Emerging Generation Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation and a Research Scholar Award from the American Gastroenterological Association. His goal is to understand lipid regulation in the liver to better diagnose and treat steatotic liver disease. Profile on Google Scholar
Lab Members
Research Associates
Gabriel Ordonez
Gabriel graduated cum laude in physiological science (BS) at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2023 and studied abroad at Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge in 2022. His research is in liver lipid metabolism and inflammation. Gabriel aims to matriculate into a medical-scientist training program (MSTP) to obtain his MD and PhD degrees with directions in disease mechanisms and neurobiology. Gabriel’s outside interests include swimming, travel, and volunteerism, and he enjoyed building a custom desktop computer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Khoi Pham
Khoi received a BS in biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is interested in studying diabetes and lipid metabolism and plans to attend graduate school in biomedical research. He loves being in nature.
Undergraduate Students
- Lilian Doan
- Lany Tran
- Zaid Vellani
Collaborators
- Lauren Uchiyama, MD-PhD Student in the Tontonoz Lab
Publications
Dr. Nguyen’s full listing on NCBI
Contact Us
If you would like to contact us, please email Dr. Nguyen at [email protected].
If you are interested in joining our research group, please include a cover letter detailing your relevant accomplishments and your CV. We are particularly interested in training physician-scientists.