Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology and Cell Biology
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham St., #505
Biomed-2 Building, rm 208-2
Office: 501-603-1359
E-mail: aysato@uams.edu
Currently accepting new students
Education
- Ph.D., Indiana University School of Medicine
- B.A., DePauw University
Sato Lab Research Interests
Glucocorticoids (GC) are commonly used as immunosuppressants to manage a wide range of conditions, such as muscular dystrophies, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, autoimmune diseases, organ transplantation and even some cancers, resulting in an estimated 4 million being prescribed GC in the US. Unfortunately, GC excess leads to harmful musculoskeletal and cardiac effects, with marked increases in fracture risks, cardiovascular diseases, and consequentially mortality rates. The Sato Laboratory investigates mechanisms by which excessive GC induce disease in the musculoskeletal and cardiac systems with the overall goal of identifying novel targets for therapeutic intervention in the context of GC with and without a primary affliction, such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We utilize in vitro, ex vivo (organ cultures), and in vivo preclinical murine models to study the pathophysiology of GC and the musculoskeletal and cardiac responses to potential protective interventions. Currently our research projects are focused on investigations targeting atrophy (E3 ligases), vitamin D, and canonical Wnt signaling to interfere with GC induced tissue loss and dysfunction within these systems.