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The Research in Endocrinology and Cardiometabolic Health Lab

REACH Lab Overview Heading link

Abeer Mohamed

In REACH Lab we strive to better understand the role of adipose tissue secretions in the initiation and progression of human diseases with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets and preventive strategies for obesity-related diseases. We seek to accomplish this goal via conducting interdisciplinary research with translational potential in obesity and related morbidities including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hormone-dependent malignancies. A major research focus in our lab is endothelial cell dysfunction as an underlying mechanism in the pathogenesis of a wide range of obesity-associated diseases, including peripheral vascular disease, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, insulin resistance, and tumor invasion and metastasis. Our present research focuses on unraveling multiple molecular and epigenetic processes to better understand the multidimensional crosstalk between adipocytes and endothelial cells.

Contact information:
REACH Lab
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
835 S Wolcott Ave, 6th Floor, E602
Medical Sciences Building (North Entrance)
Chicago, IL 60612
Lab Phone Number: (312) 355-8565

Meet the PI Heading link

Dr. Abeer Mohamed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (College of Medicine, UIC). She received her MD degree and residency training as a Pathologist from Assiut University, Egypt. She served as a surgical/clinical pathologist at South Egypt Cancer Institute (2002-2008), before realizing her true passion was in biomedical research. She earned her Ph.D. in Pathology (College of Medicine, UIC, 2013) where she studied chemoprevention in prostate cancer. For her postdoctoral research (College of Applied Health Sciences, UIC, 2013-2017), she studied physiological and molecular outcomes of lifestyle interventions at the metabolic and vascular levels. She is currently funded by NIH/NHLBI-K99 “DNA Methylation and Vascular Function in Obesity: Role of Exercise and Weight Loss” to study blood and tissue DNA methylation profiles among those who are morbidly obese and the impact of these profiles on metabolic and vascular functions. She is also funded by the NIDDK/NIH-sponsored Diabetes Research and Training Center to study the role of adipocyte-derived extracellular vesicles in diabetes-associate endothelial dysfunction and by University of Illinois’ Cancer Center to study the role of adipose tissue-derived extracellular vesicles in promoting breast cancer metastasis. Dr. Mohamed’s long-term goal is to identify clinically relevant epigenetic mechanisms to help mitigate the increased risk of obesity co-morbidities.

Research Projects Heading link

Lab Publications Heading link

  • Staff Bios

    Dina Naquiallah, MD, MPH, MHA
    Research coordinator

    Imaduddin Mirza, BS
    Research Assistant/coordinator

    Mohamed Hussein, MD
    Postdoctoral Research Assistant

    Hagar Ismail, MS
    Research Assistant

  • Student/Volunteers

    Areij Mohamed
    Undergraduate student
    College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

    Hania Deen
    Undergraduate student
    Honors College

    Caroline Dobosz
    Undergraduate Student
    Honors College

    Amier Munasser
    Undergraduate Student
    Honors College

    Humza Ahmed
    Undergraduate Student
    College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

    Uzma Abdulbaseer
    Undergraduate Student
    College of Liberal Arts and Sciences