Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences

Natarajan Lab

Natarajan Lab

The primary goal of the Natarajan Lab is to elucidate the cytoprotective roles of dietary nutrients in combating against placental complications that can occur during pregnancy such as acute fatty liver of pregnancy, Zika virus infection, and maternal obesity. 

Cytoprotection is a process by which chemical compounds provide protection to cells against harmful agents. Through our research, we have identified palmitoleate, an omega-7 monosaturated fatty acid as a cytoprotective nutrient. Foods such as macadamia nuts contain high levels of palmitoleate which can be used as a potential dietary therapy against placental complications as well as a preventative measure against the adverse consequence of placental damage to unborn babies. 

Our long-term goals: 

  • Develop a nutraceutical approach to mitigate liver and placental lipotoxicity that occurs during acute fatty liver of pregnancy and maternal obesity, respectively
  • Elucidating the protective role of dietary-palmitoleate supplementation in preventing against Zika virus-induced placenta and fetal brain infection

 

 

Natarajan Lab assoc
Trophoblasts Images

Lab Members

Former Lab Members

 

Swetha Ashokkumar

Swetha Ashokkumar
Undergraduate Exchange Student
from the University of Iowa, 2021


  • Swetha worked during the summer of 2021 and was funded through Summer Redox Biology Center REU program fellow. Her work focused on the investigation of interferon alpha signaling in Zika virus-induced placental trophoblasts. The preliminary data she generated, in collaboration with Dr. Murali Ganesan from UNMC, was instrumental in obtaining seed grant funding from the NU collaborative initiative

  • Currently with the NIH-Postbaccalaureate program at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD

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Taylor Bruett
Undergraduate Student Research, 2016
Lab Technician, 2019-2020


  • Successfully obtained funding from UCARE for her work on 3-hydroxy fatty acid-induced trophoblast lipoapoptosis at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Currently working as a lab manager with Dr. Zimmerman's lab at the University of Nebraska Medical Center

Anthony Delaney

Tony Delaney
Research Technologist, 2021-2024
 


  • Worked with the Natarajan Lab on elucidating the protective role of macadamia oil supplemented diet (high palmitoleate diet) against Zika virus infection-induced complications using humanized STAT2 KI mice

  • Played a vital role in assisting multiple lab members with their projects to help them achieve their goals

  • Now working with the UNL Office of Research and Innovation as Research Project Manager I

 
Kathryn Hammer

Kathryn Hammer
Lab Technician, 2022-2023
Temporary Worker, 2022-Present


  • Working on elucidating the novel function of long chain hydroxy acyl CoA dehydrogenase in the synthesis of cardiolipin in trophoblasts and cardiomyocytes

  • Graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nutrition Science major 2022

  • Accepted to the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Class of 2028

Dr. Taylor Heng

Taylor Heng
Undergraduate Student, 2021


  • Via a joint program with University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Iowa State University, Taylor completed the professional program in veterinary medicine and graduated with a degree in Biology, 2021

  • Currently working as a Veterinarian at Columbus Small Animal Hospital in Columbus, NE

Madison Kraus 2

Madison Kraus
Undergraduate Student, 2018-2019 & 2019-2020


  • Worked with the Natarajan Lab on Zika virus-induced apoptosis in retinal pigment epithelial cells

  • Awards:

    • Undergraduate Creative Education and Research Experience (UCARE) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2018-2019 & 2019-2020

    • Milton Mohr Scholarship from the Center for Biotechnology from IANR at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2018

  • Received the Gates Center Summer internship to the University of Colorado Anschultz Medical Campus, 2019

  • Currently working as Project Manager at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York City, NY

 

Philma Glora Muthuraj

Philma Glora Muthuraj
 


  • Graduated with doctorate from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2021

  • Joined Veterinary Microbiology Residency Program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, August 2021

  • Received a travel grant to attend the Gilbert Greenwald Symposium the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, KS, 2017 and 2018

  • Selected to give an oral presentation to the Gilbert Greenwald Symposium at the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, KS, October 2018

Jillian Power

Jillian Power
Undergraduate Student Research, 2019-2020


  • Worked on pro-apoptotic function of Forkhead family of transcription factor, FoxO3 in saturated free fatty acid-induced placental trophoblast damage during maternal obesity

  • Awards:

    • UCARE Assistantship from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2018-2019 academic year

    • ARD Undergraduate Scholarship Award from IANR at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2019-2020

Ellie Rautio

Ellie Rautio
2019-August 2022



 


  • Currently completing dietetic internship with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN

Prakash Sahoo

Prakash Kumar Sahoo
2019-2024


  • Currently a postdoctoral fellow with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, IN

  • Graduated from UNL with a PhD in Summer of 2023 and stayed with the Natarajan Lab as postdoc until January 2024

  • Awards:

    • 2018 Best Poster winner for his research on 3-hydroxy fatty acids induce placental trophoblast necroptosis at the Gilbert Greenwald Symposium, held at Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, KS

    • 2018 Best Poster winner at the NPOD Symposium

Aline Mwiza Uwashimimana

Mwiza Aline Uwashimimana
Undergraduate Exchange Student
from Rwanda, 2020-2021
 
 
 


  • Established the role of cellular stress pathway in response to accumulation of 3-hydroxy fatty acids in placental trophoblasts

  • Received the ARD Undergraduate Scholarship Award from IANR at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Now pursuing PhD in the Department of Public Health at Purdue University

Jenna Whitmore

Jenna Whitmore
Undergraduate Student Researcher from 
Nebraska Wesleyan University with INBRE
Scholarship from UNMC, 2020-2021

 


  • Studied the protective role of n-3 fatty acids against particulate matter-induced inflammation in placental trophoblasts

  • Graduated with MS in Professional Studies in Dietetics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Completed Dietitian Board certification

  • Currently working as a research dietitian at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, NE

Jenna Whitmore
Undergraduate Student Researcher from 
Nebraska Wesleyan University with INBRE
Scholarship from UNMC, 2020-2021

 


  • Studied the protective role of n-3 fatty acids against particulate matter-induced inflammation in placental trophoblasts

  • Graduated with MS in Professional Studies in Dietetics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Completed Dietitian Board certification

  • Currently working as a research dietitian at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, NE

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Yihang Zhao
Visiting Undergraduate Student from 
Northwest Agriculture and Forestry
University (China) Scholars, Yangling, China


  • Worked on elucidating the protective role of Betaine protection against palmitate-induced trophoblast lipoapoptosis

Publications

2024
2023
2022
2021  
2019
2018
2017

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