7mÊÓƵ

Email

chopra@bcm.edu

Positions

Caroline Wiess Law Scholar, Assistant Professor

Molecular and Human Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology
7mÊÓƵ
Houston, TX

Attending Physician

Pediatric Genetics Clinic
Texas Children's Hospital
Houston, TX

Member

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
7mÊÓƵ
Houston, Texas United States

Addresses

1 Baylor Plaza (Office)

DeBakey M824
Houston, TX 77030
United States

1 Baylor Plaza (Lab)

DeBakey M825/CHOPRA
Houston, TX 77030
United States

Texas Children's Hospital (Clinic)

6701 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77030
United States

Education

MD from MIMER Medical College

01/2003 - Pune, India

PhD from 7mÊÓƵ

06/2010 - Houston, Texas United States

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Internship at 7mÊÓƵ

06/2011 - Houston, Texas

Medicine/Pediatrics

Residency at 7mÊÓƵ

07/2014 - Houston, Texas

Medical Genetics

Certifications

Clinical Genetics

American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics

Professional Interests

• Energy and metabolic homeostasis, asprosin biology, identification of novel disorders of energy balance in humans

Professional Statement

I am a physician-scientist at 7mÊÓƵ with clinical expertise in Medical Genetics and research expertise in the field of energy homeostasis and metabolic disease. Through the assessment of humans with genetic defects in the processing of energy, we are able to identify new genes and pathways that have escaped attention so far. This not only benefits patients but also allows us to take the discovery into the lab and focus on filling in the gap from the gene to the phenotype. The overarching aim is to help one patient at a time but also a broader swath of humanity via advancing medical knowledge and developing novel therapeutics. As an example of this, by studying a rare genetic disorder - Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome, our lab was the first to identify a novel hormone (that we named asprosin) that modulates hepatic glucose production and appetite stimulation using spatiotemporally distinct mechanisms when dietary fuel is unavailable. In the therapeutic arena, antibodies targeting asprosin are showing considerable promise by acutely lowering blood glucose and appetite, leading over the long term to improvement in type II diabetes and obesity respectively.

Selected Publications

• Duerrschmid C, He Y, Wang C, Li C, Bournat JC, Romere C, Saha PK, Lee ME, Phillips KJ, Jain M, Jia P, Zhao Z, Farias M, Wu Q, Milewicz DM, Sutton VR, Moore DD, Butte NF, Krashes MJ, Xu Y, Chopra AR "." Nature Medicine. 2017 Nov 6;23(12):1444-1453. Pubmed PMID:
• Romere C, Duerrschmid C, Bournat J, Constable P, Jain M, Xia F, Saha PK, Del Solar M, Zhu B, York B, Sarkar P, Rendon DA, Gaber MW, LeMaire SA, Coselli JS, Milewicz DM, Sutton VR, Butte NF, Moore DD, Chopra AR "." Cell. 2016 Apr 21;165(3):566-579. Pubmed PMID:
• Chopra AR*, Louet JF*, Saha P, An J, Demayo F, Xu J, York B, Karpen S, Finegold M, Moore D, Chan L, Newgard CB, O'Malley BW "." Science. 2008 Nov 28;322(5906):1395-9. Pubmed PMID:
• Chopra AR, Kommagani R, Saha P, Song J, Jeong JW, Louet JF, Salazar C, Finegold M, Viollet B, Demayo F, Chan L, Moore D, O'Malley BW "." Cell Metabolism. 2011 Jan 5;13(1):35-43. Pubmed PMID:

Funding

Caroline Wiess Law Scholar Award for Academic Excellence

(06/01/2015 Unrestricted funding from The Caroline Wiess Law Endowment

Chao Physician-Scientist Award

(06/01/2014 - 06/01/2015) Unrestricted funding from The Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation

Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) - #1K08DK102529

(07/01/2014 - 07/01/2019) Grant funding from The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)