Rafael Calais Gaspar, PhD, MSc
Postdoctoral AssociateAbout
Research
Publications
2026
CIDEB and CGI-58 differentially regulate liver lipid-droplet cholesterol to modulate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis severity
Sakuma I, Gaspar R, Morgan H, Zheng J, Nasiri A, Dufour S, Kahn M, Guerra M, Taki Y, Kawashima Y, Yimlamai D, Perelis M, Vatner D, Petersen K, Samuel V, Tanaka T, Shulman G. CIDEB and CGI-58 differentially regulate liver lipid-droplet cholesterol to modulate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis severity. Cell Reports 2026, 45: 117369. PMID: 42234563, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117369.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInsulin receptorT1160 phosphorylation mediates renal cortical insulin resistance but not excess gluconeogenesis from glycerol
Hubbard B, Ma Y, Gaspar R, LaMoia T, Zhang D, Kahn M, Dufour S, Nasiri A, Shulman G. Insulin receptorT1160 phosphorylation mediates renal cortical insulin resistance but not excess gluconeogenesis from glycerol. Nature Communications 2026 PMID: 42168167, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73016-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchWestern diet-induced MASH in PWK/PhJ mice identifies disruptions in amino acid and sphingolipid metabolism contributing to cardiac dysfunction
Rodríguez-López S, Pérez-Rodríguez M, Badreddine A, Gaspar R, Novaes Morgan H, Sakuma I, von Alvensleben G, Alonso-Calleja A, Everts S, Suter N, Benegiamo G, Goepfert C, de Brot S, Villalba J, Shulman G, Schoonjans K, Auwerx J. Western diet-induced MASH in PWK/PhJ mice identifies disruptions in amino acid and sphingolipid metabolism contributing to cardiac dysfunction. Nature Communications 2026 PMID: 42156763, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73449-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchChanges in weight and metabolic health during and after cessation of a time-restricted feeding plus aerobic training in Swiss mice fed a high-fat diet
Fudoli Lins Vieira R, Castelo Branco Ramos Nakandakari S, Calheiros Antunes G, Azevedo Macedo A, Damasceno de Lima R, da Silva Rios T, Tobar N, Rosetto Muñoz V, Calais Gaspar R, da Silva A, Esper Cintra D, Rochete Ropelle E, Chaix A, Pauli J. Changes in weight and metabolic health during and after cessation of a time-restricted feeding plus aerobic training in Swiss mice fed a high-fat diet. AJP Endocrinology And Metabolism 2026, 330: e431-e441. PMID: 41670954, DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00432.2025.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
Precancer exercise capacity and metabolism during tumor development coordinate the skeletal muscle–tumor metabolic competition
Leitner B, Fosam A, Lee W, Zilinger K, Nakandakari S, Zhang X, Gaspar R, Zhu W, Perry C, Rabinowitz J, Perry R. Precancer exercise capacity and metabolism during tumor development coordinate the skeletal muscle–tumor metabolic competition. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2508707122. PMID: 41325517, PMCID: PMC12704748, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2508707122.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCideb knockdown in mice increases mitochondrial fat oxidation and reverses hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance by the plasma membrane sn-1,2-DAGs–PKCε–insulin receptor kinaseT1150 pathway
Zheng J, Gaspar R, Sakuma I, Hubbard B, Zhang D, Nasiri A, Kahn M, Perelis M, Samuel V, Petersen K, Shulman G. Cideb knockdown in mice increases mitochondrial fat oxidation and reverses hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance by the plasma membrane sn-1,2-DAGs–PKCε–insulin receptor kinaseT1150 pathway. Diabetologia 2025, 68: 2906-2920. PMID: 40908405, DOI: 10.1007/s00125-025-06539-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLiver lipid droplet cholesterol content is a key determinant of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis
Sakuma I, Gaspar R, Nasiri A, Dufour S, Kahn M, Zheng J, LaMoia T, Guerra M, Taki Y, Kawashima Y, Yimlamai D, Perelis M, Vatner D, Petersen K, Huttasch M, Knebel B, Kahl S, Roden M, Samuel V, Tanaka T, Shulman G. Liver lipid droplet cholesterol content is a key determinant of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2502978122. PMID: 40310463, PMCID: PMC12067271, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2502978122.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNotch1 Signalling Is Downregulated by Aerobic Exercise, Leading to Improvement of Hepatic Metabolism in Obese Mice
Gaspar R, Macêdo A, Nakandakari S, Muñoz V, Abud G, Vieira R, de Sousa Neto I, Pavan I, da Silva L, Simabuco F, da Silva A, Salgado W, Marchini J, Nonino C, Cintra D, Ropelle E, Pajvani U, de Freitas E, Pauli J. Notch1 Signalling Is Downregulated by Aerobic Exercise, Leading to Improvement of Hepatic Metabolism in Obese Mice. Liver International 2025, 45: e70068. PMID: 40078075, DOI: 10.1111/liv.70068.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTime-restricted feeding reduces inflammatory markers and downregulates JAG1 and NICD protein levels in the liver of aged mice
Macêdo A, de Sousa Neto I, Antonio G, Gaspar R, de Lima R, Dias L, Vieira R, Muñoz V, Brunelli D, da Silva A, Cintra D, Ropelle E, Pauli J. Time-restricted feeding reduces inflammatory markers and downregulates JAG1 and NICD protein levels in the liver of aged mice. Nutrition 2025, 133: 112691. PMID: 39983606, DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2025.112691.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDeterminants of increased muscle insulin sensitivity of exercise-trained versus sedentary normal weight and overweight individuals
Pesta D, Anadol-Schmitz E, Sarabhai T, Kamp Y, Gancheva S, Trinks N, Zaharia O, Mastrototaro L, Lyu K, Habets I, Kamp-Bruls Y, Dewidar B, Weiss J, Schrauwen-Hinderling V, Zhang D, Gaspar R, Strassburger K, Kupriyanova Y, Al-Hasani H, Szendroedi J, Schrauwen P, Phielix E, Shulman G, Roden M. Determinants of increased muscle insulin sensitivity of exercise-trained versus sedentary normal weight and overweight individuals. Science Advances 2025, 11: eadr8849. PMID: 39742483, PMCID: PMC11691647, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr8849.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
News
News
- January 12, 2026
How Exercise Slows Tumor Growth
- July 29, 2025
Study Reveals Cholesterol’s Role in Fibrotic Progression of Metabolic Liver Disease
- February 18, 2025
What Makes a Successful Heart Failure Drug Work?
- April 04, 2023
Researchers Demonstrate New Protective Process Against Liver Fibrosis in NASH
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New Haven, CT 06519