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Lipids researcher receives AACE Frontiers in Science Award
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Jay D. Horton, MD, professor of internal medicine and molecular genetics and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, received the 2016 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Frontiers in Science Award at their Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress here.
The Frontiers in Science Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exemplary contributions to his or her individual profession or area of expertise. In clinical digestive diseases, Horton’s laboratory is researching the conditions that lead to fatty liver disease and obesity, with a focus on how transcriptional regulators of fat metabolism contribute to the development of fatty liver in various disease processes, such as diabetes, obesity and lipodystrophies.
Jay D. Horton
Endocrine Today spoke with Horton about what led him to the field of lipid research, the importance of good mentors and maintaining a passion for scientific discovery.
What was the defining moment that led you to your field?
As a medical student at the University of Iowa, I worked in the laboratory of Jeffrey Field, also a gastroenterologist who studied cholesterol metabolism in the intestine. I enjoyed the experience and became hooked on research and remained interested in lipids. He recommended that if I wanted to continue in research related to cholesterol as a physician scientist that I do my internal medicine training at UT Southwestern, where Drs. Brown and Goldstein had recently won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the LDL receptor.
What has been the greatest challenge in your professional career thus far?
The greatest challenge has been and continues to be balancing clinical duties with research. Each passing year, there are more and more administrative demands in both areas that make it more challenging to do both well.
Your lab is focusing on molecular and metabolic alterations that result in excessive fat accumulation in liver. What is your research team working on right now to explore that association?
Right now we are exploring the molecular changes that result in excessive fat accumulation in liver. Specifically, the role of transcription factors and accessory proteins involved in endogenous fat synthesis and how they contribute to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition that is present in one-third of the U.S. population. We have strong evidence for a causal role of lipogenesis, and therefore, identifying ways to reduce fat synthesis may offer therapeutic opportunities for the treatment of this very common medical condition.
Whom do you consider a mentor, and why?
I am extremely fortunate to have two outstanding mentors, Drs. Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown. I obtained a Howard Hughes Fellowship to work in their laboratory following my gastroenterology fellowship. They instilled in me the necessary work ethic, intensity and thrill of scientific discovery. They also insisted that I work on important problems and advised against safe science that would result only in incremental advances. Finally, their scientific integrity and comprehensive approach to scientific questions are qualities that I use to guide my career and in the way that I run my laboratory. I am most fortunate that they continue to serve as mentors to this day.
What advice would you offer to a student in medical school today?
My advice to medical students is to not forget the thrill of scientific discovery and to choose the best mentor possible. All physicians generally truly enjoy their clinical duties and taking care of patients. It is very easy to take the path of least resistance at the end of clinical training, which is to continue doing what you feel you do best at the time — being a physician. The uncertainties and challenges of becoming an academic physician often seem overwhelming and going through the additional training necessary to be competitive in science is daunting. It is important to remember that the privilege of taking care of patients provides important insights into a disease that cannot be obtained by anyone else. This is not only an advantage, but very important for identifying the important questions that can lead to significant advances in the treatment of disease. You have to mentally commit to science and to ultimately be successful the importance of a supportive and successful mentor cannot be underestimated. Good mentors remain that for life. They take pride in your success and can open doors for you in the future that will significantly enhance your chances of success as an independent investigator. They will teach you how to do science the right way and provide the foundation necessary for you to lead your own successful laboratory.
For more information:
Jay Horton , can be reached at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, 75390; email: Jay.horton@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Disclosures: Horton reports no relevant financial disclosures.