Alderete Diabetes and Obestity Research logoRamaley N379A
Department of Integrative Physiology
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0354
Office Phone: 303-735-6249
Website: https://adorlab.com

Research Interests

The Diabetes and Obesity Research Laboratory is interested applying a multidisciplinary approach to dissecting the contributions of diet, environmental exposures, and the gut microbiome to human health, with a particular focus on obesity, type 2 diabetes, and health disparities.

Personnel

  • Director: Dr. Tanya L. Alderete
  • Project Research Assistant: Sarah Haydu
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow: Elham Kazemian
  • Graduate Student(s): William Patterson
  • Current and Former Lab Members: Laura Wild, Maximilian Bailey, Savannah Mierau, Jessica Glasson
  • Undergraduate Students: Noopur Naik, Zach Morgan, Did Trifonova
  • Collaborators: Frank Gilliland M.D., Ph.D., Michael Goran, Ph.D., Leda Chatzi M.D., Ph.D., and Talat Islam, M.D., Ph.D., University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine; Claudia Toledo-Corral, MPH, Ph.D., California State University Northridge, Rob Knight, Ph.D., University of California San Diego; Anthony Fodor, Ph.D.; University of North Carolina at Charlotte; and Douglas Walker, Ph.D., Mount Sinai

Current Research Projects

  • Exposure to air pollutants, obesity, insulin resistance, and the gut microbiome
  • Persistent organic pollutants and risk factors for type 2 diabetes in youth
  • Environmental exposures, breastmilk, and infant growth trajectories

Find out how you can participate in a study in the ADOR Laboratory.

Opportunities for Undergraduates

  • We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated undergraduate students who are interested in obtaining research experience.
  • Candidates must have an interest in obesity, type 2 diabetes, health disparities, and environmental health.
  • Enroll in Independent Study (i.e., IPHY 4860) for 8-10 hours/week for at least one semester (undergraduates).
  • Either have completed or be currently enrolled in Introductory Statistics (IPHY 2800).
  • For more information, please contact tanya.alderete@colorado.edu.

Opportunities for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Graduate student and postdoctoral fellow training is available contingent upon research funding.
  • For more information, please contact tanya.alderete@colorado.edu.

Recent Publications

For a complete list of publications click here.

  1. Fouladi F, Bailey MJ, Patterson WB, Sioda M, Blakley IC, Fodor AA, Jones RB, Chen Z, Kim JS, Lurmann F, Martino C, Knight R, Gilliland FD, Alderete TL. Air pollution exposure is associated with the gut microbiome as revealed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Environ Int. 2020 May;138:105604. PMID: 32135388, PMCID: PMC7181344. 
  2. Bailey MJ, Naik NN, Wild LE, Patterson WB, Alderete TL. Exposure to air pollutants and the gut microbiota: a potential link between exposure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Gut Microbes. 2020 Apr 29:1-15. PMID: 32347153. 
  3. Berger PK, Plows JF, Jones RB, Alderete TL, Yonemitsu C, Poulsen M, Ryoo JH, Peterson BS, Bode L, Goran MI. Human milk oligosaccharide 2'-fucosyllactose links feedings at 1 month to cognitive development at 24 months in infants of normal and overweight mothers. PLoS One. 2020;15(2):e0228323. PMID: 32049968, PMCID: PMC7015316. 
  4. Kim JS, Chen Z, Alderete TL, Toledo-Corral C, Lurmann F, Berhane K, Gilliland FD. Associations of air pollution, obesity and cardiometabolic health in young adults: The Meta-AIR study. Environ Int. 2019 Dec;133(Pt A):105180. 2019 Oct 15. PMID: 31622905, PMCID: PMC6884139. 
  5. Berger PK, Plows JF, Jones RB, Pollock NK, Alderete TL, Ryoo JH, Goran MI. Maternal blood pressure mediates the association between maternal obesity and infant weight gain in early postpartum. Pediatr Obes. 2019 Nov;14(11):e12560. 2019 Jul 11.  PMID: 31297972, PMCID: PMC6812591.
  6. Chen Z, Herting MM, Chatzi L, Belcher BR, Alderete TL, McConnell RS, Gilliland FD. Regional and traffic-related air pollutants are associated with higher consumption of fast food and trans-fat among adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019; 109(1):99-108. PMID: 30596809, PMCID:PMC6358030.
  7. Alderete TL*, Jin R*, Walker DI*, Valvi D, Chen Z, Jones DP, Peng C, Gilliland FD, Berhane K, Conti DV, Goran MI, Chatzi L. Perfluoroalkyl substances, metabolomic profiling, and alterations in glucose homeostasis among overweight and obese Hispanic children: A proof-of-concept analysis. Environ Int. 2019, 126:445-453. PMID: 30844580. *Authors contributed equally to this work.
  8. Jones RB, Alderete TL, Kim JS, Millstein J, Gilliland FD, Goran MI. High intake of dietary fructose in overweight/obese teenagers associated with depletion of Eubacterium and Streptococcus in gut microbiome. Gut Microbes. 2019, [Epub ahead of print].
  9. Kim JS, Alderete TL, Chen Z, Lurmann F, Rappaport E, Habre R, Berhane K, Gilliland FD. Longitudinal associations of in utero and early life near-roadway air pollution with trajectories of childhood body mass index. Environmental health. 2018; 17(1):64. PMID: 30213262, PMCID: PMC6137930
  10. Alderete TL*, Chen Z*, Toledo-Corral CM*, Contreras ZA, Kim JS, Habre R, Chatzi L, Bastain T, Breton CV, Gilliland FD. Ambient and Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exposures as Novel Risk Factors for Metabolic Dysfunction and Type 2 Diabetes. *Authors contributed equally to this work.Curr Epidemiol Rep. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-018-0140-5.
  11. Alderete TL, Song AY, Bastain T, Habre R, Toledo-Corral CM, Salam MT, Lurmann F, Gilliland FD, Breton CV. Prenatal traffic-related air pollution exposures, cord blood adipokines and infant weight. Pediatric Obesity. 2018; 13(6):348-356. PMID: 29098799, PMCID: PMC5934325
  12. Goran MI, Riemer SL, Alderete TL. Simplified and age-appropriate recommendations for added sugars in children. Pediatric Obesity. 2018; 13(4):269-272. PMID: 28921869
  13. Jones RB, Alderete TL, Martin AA, Geary BA, Hwang DH, Palmer SL, Goran MI. Probiotic supplementation increases obesity with no detectable effects on liver fat or gut microbiota in obese Hispanic adolescents: a 16-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatric Obesity. 2018; PMID: 29493105, PMCID: PMC6113106
  14. Alderete TL, Jones RB, Chen Z, Kim JS, Habre R, Lurmann F, Gilliland FD, Goran MI. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution and the composition of the gut microbiota in overweight and obese adolescents. Environmental Research. 2018; 161:472-478. PMID: 29220800, PMCID: PMC5747978
  15. Toledo-Corral CM*, Alderete TL*, Habre R, Berhane K, Lurmann FW, Weigensberg MJ, Goran MI, Gilliland FD. Effects of air pollution exposure on glucose metabolism in Los Angeles minority children. *Authors contributed equally to this work.Pediatric Obesity. 2018; 13(1):54-62. PMID: 27923100, PMCID: PMC5722706
  16. Alderete TL, Habre R, Toledo-Corral CM, Berhane K, Chen Z, Lurmann FW, Weigensberg MJ, Goran MI, Gilliland FD. Longitudinal Associations Between Ambient Air Pollution with Insulin Sensitivity, β-Cell Function, and Adiposity in Los Angeles Latino Children. Diabetes. 2017; 66(7):1789-1796. PMID: 28137791, PMCID: PMC5482082
  17. Chen Z, Salam MT, Alderete TL, Habre R, Bastain TM, Berhane K, Gilliland FD. Effects of Childhood Asthma on the Development of Obesity among School-aged Children. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2017; 195(9):1181-1188. PMID: 28103443, PMCID: PMC5439015
  18. Goran MI, Martin AA, Alderete TL, Fujiwara H, Fields DA. Fructose in Breast Milk Is Positively Associated with Infant Body Composition at 6 Months of Age. Nutrients. 2017; 9(2). PMID: 28212335, PMCID: PMC5331577
  19. Gyllenhammer LE, Lam J, Alderete TL, Allayee H, Akbari O, Katkhouda N, Goran MI. Lower omental t-regulatory cell count is associated with higher fasting glucose and lower β-cell function in adults with obesity. Obesity. 2016; 24(6):1274-82. PMID: 27133873, PMCID: PMC4882248
  20. Gyllenhammer LE, Alderete TL, Toledo-Corral CM, Weigensberg M, Goran MI. Saturation of subcutaneous adipose tissue expansion and accumulation of ectopic fat associated with metabolic dysfunction during late and post-pubertal growth. International Journal of Obesity (2005). 2016; 40(4):601-6. PMID: 26443340, PMCID: PMC4821774
  21. Alderete TL, Autran C, Brekke BE, Knight R, Bode L, Goran MI, Fields DA. Associations between human milk oligosaccharides and infant body composition in the first 6 mo of life. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015; 102(6):1381-8. PMID: 26511224
  22. Kayser BD, Toledo-Corral CM, Alderete TL, Weigensberg MJ, Goran MI. Temporal relationships between adipocytokines and diabetes risk in Hispanic adolescents with obesity. Obesity. 2015; 23(7):1479-85. PMID: 26046253, PMCID: PMC4482804
  23. Toledo-Corral CM, Alderete TL, Richey J, Sequeira P, Goran MI, Weigensberg MJ. Fasting, post-OGTT challenge, and nocturnal free fatty acids in prediabetic versus normal glucose tolerant overweight and obese Latino adolescents. Acta Diabetologica. 2015; 52(2):277-84. PMID: 25109287, PMCID: PMC4324370
  24. Alderete TL, Sattler FR, Richey JM, Allayee H, Mittelman SD, Sheng X, Tucci J, Gyllenhammer LE, Grant EG, Goran MI. Salsalate treatment improves glycemia without altering adipose tissue in nondiabetic obese Hispanics. Obesity. 2015; 23(3):543-51. PMID: 25644856, PMCID: PMC4340767
  25. Alderete TL, Sattler FR, Sheng X, Tucci J, Mittelman SD, Grant EG, Goran MI. A novel biopsy method to increase yield of subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue. International Journal of Obesity (2005). 2015; 39(1):183-6.  PMID: 24849392, PMCID: PMC5764758
  26. Alderete TL, Toledo-Corral CM, Goran MI. Metabolic basis of ethnic differences in diabetes risk in overweight and obese youth. Current Diabetes Reports. 2014; 14(2):455. PMID: 24445905, PMCID: PMC4409785
  27. Gyllenhammer LE, Alderete TL, Mahurka S, Allayee H, Goran MI. Adipose tissue 11βHSD1 gene expression, βcell function and ectopic fat in obese African Americans versus Hispanics. Obesity. 2014; 22(1):14-8. PMID: 23836520
  28. Walker RW, Sinatra F, Hartiala J, Weigensberg M, Spruijt-Metz D, Alderete TL, Goran MI, Allayee H. Genetic and clinical markers of elevated liver fat content in overweight and obese Hispanic children. Obesity. 2013; 21(12):E790-7. PMID: 23804528, PMCID: PMC3855210
  29. Alderete TL, Toledo-Corral CM, Desai P, Weigensberg MJ, Goran MI. Liver fat has a stronger association with risk factors for type 2 diabetes in African-American compared with Hispanic adolescents. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2013; 98(9):3748-54. PMID: 23873990, PMCID: PMC3763973
  30. Toledo-Corral CM, Alderete TL, Hu HH, Nayak K, Esplana S, Liu T, Goran MI, Weigensberg MJ. Ectopic fat deposition in prediabetic overweight and obeseminority adolescents. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2013; 98(3):1115-21. PMID: 23386647, PMCID: PMC3590481
  31. Goran MI, Alderete TL. Targeting adipose tissue inflammation to treat the underlying basis of the metabolic complications of obesity. Nestle Nutrition Institute Workshop Series. 2012; 73:49-60; Discussion p61-6. PMID: 23128765, PMCID: PMC4439096
  32. Walker RW, Lê KA, Davis J, Alderete TL, Cherry R, Lebel S, Goran MI. High rates of fructose malabsorption are associated with reduced liver fat in obese African  Americans. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2012; 31(5):369-74. PMID: 23529994
  33. Alderete TL, Gyllenhammer LE, Byrd-Williams CE, Spruijt-Metz D, Goran MI, Davis JN. Increasing Physical Activity Decreases Hepatic Fat and Metabolic Risk Factors. Journal of exercise physiology online. 2012; 15(2):40-54. PMID: 23814456, PMCID: PMC3695481
  34. Lê KA, Mahurkar S, Alderete TL, Hasson RE, Adam TC, Kim JS, Beale E, Xie C, Greenberg AS, Allayee H, Goran MI. Subcutaneous adipose tissue macrophage infiltration is associated with hepatic and visceral fat deposition, hyperinsulinemia, and stimulation of NF-κB stress pathway. Diabetes. 2011; 60(11):2802-9. PMID: 22025778, PMCID: PMC3198061
  35. Toledo-Corral CM, Davis JN, Alderete TL, Weigensberg MJ, Ayala CT, Li Y, Hodis HN, Goran MI. Subclinical atherosclerosis in Latino youth: progression of carotid intima-media thickness and its relationship to cardiometabolic risk factors. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2011; 158(6):935-PMID: 21238987, PMCID: PMC3767153
  36. Alderete TL, Byrd-Williams CE, Toledo-Corral CM, Conti DV, Weigensberg MJ, Goran MI. Relationships between IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 and adiposity in obese African-American and Latino adolescents. Obesity. 2011; 19(5):933-8. PMID: 20885383, PMCID: PMC3081365 
  37. Bottjer SW, Alderete TL, Chang D. Conjunction of vocal production and perception regulates expression of the immediate early gene ZENK in a novel cortical region of songbirds. Journal of neurophysiology. 2010; 103(4):1833-42. PMID: 20107119, PMCID: PMC2853286

Funding

  • 2017 – 2022 NIH/NIEHS K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award (PI: Alderete)
  • 2019 – 2022 University of Colorado Boulder Research and Innovation Seed Grant (PI: Alderete)
  • 2019 – 2024 NIH/NIEHS R01 Environmental Chemical Exposures and Longitudinal Alterations in Glucose Metabolism, Insulin Sensitivity and Beta-cell function in Youth (Co-I: Alderete)
  • 2020 – 2023 HEI Rosenblith New Investigator Award (PI: Alderete)