Mandana Pahlavani, Ph.D.

Contact

mpahlavani@twu.edu
940-898-2650
SRC 204I

Biography

Mandana Pahlavani, Ph. D., is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, and an adjunct assistant professor at UTSW, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology. She has a strong research background in Nutrition, Obesity, Cardiometabolic health, and Inflammation. Her research program seeks to understand the physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms of HDL function, lipid metabolism, reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), as well as the use of bioactive food compounds such as polyphenols to favorably manipulate lipid metabolism and gut microbiota to ultimately reduce coronary artery disease (CAD), and obesity. Additionally, her Nano-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Research (NNCMR) lab focuses on encapsulating dietary compounds, especially polyphenols, on enhancing their bioavailability to positively impact HDL function, lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota.

Her doctoral dissertation focused on elucidating the cellular and molecular basis for the physiological effects of an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in brown adipose tissue using animal models and cellular and molecular approaches. She was awarded a two-year USDA postdoctoral fellowship, to address a novel area of molecular nutrition to understand mechanisms mediating the metabolic effects of omega-3 fatty acids in preventing and/or decreasing obesity. With this solid foundation in basic science, she decided to pursue patient-oriented research in HDL function in cardiometabolic health at UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), supported by an NIH T32 training program. Her second postdoc training at UTSW focused on deep phenotyping approaches to understand the role of lipid metabolism and lipoproteins in cardiometabolic health. Additionally, she was awarded American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship to perform deep phenotyping approaches to understand the role of lipid metabolism in cardiometabolic health.

Her combined training in basic science on bioactive food compounds (especially polyphenols), and patient-oriented research on HDL function have equipped her with unique cross-disciplinary training and experiences to effectively address major cardiometabolic disease challenges that are modulated by lipids and fatty acids.

 

 

Education

Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
M.S., Food Science and Technology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
B.S., Food Science and Technology, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

Research Interests

Latest Articles

Thermogenic adipose tissues: promising therapeutic targets for metabolic diseases.
Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry (2024)
Mandana Pahlavani, N.S Kalupahana, L. Ramalingam, K. Pham, A. Morovati

Temperature-Dependent Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) on Browning of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in UCP1 Knockout Male Mice
International Journal of Molecular Medicine and Advance Sciences (2023)
Y. Zu, Mandana Pahlavani, L. Ramalingam, S. Jayarathne, J Andrade

Metabolomic Profiling of Cholesterol Efflux Capacity in a Multi-Ethnic Population: Insights from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (2023)
H. Wynn, A. Smith, R. Pinto, S Saldanha, A. Gangwar

Sex-dependent effects of Eicosapentaenoic acid and UCP1 deficiency on hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obese mice
Current Developments in Nutrition (2021)
K Albracht-Schulte, S Wilson, P Johnson, Mandana Pahlavani, L Ramalingam

Uncoupling Protein 1-Independent Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid in Brown Adipose Tissue of Diet-Induced Obese Female Mice
Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry (2021)
Emily K Miller, Mandana Pahlavani, Latha Ramalingam, Shane Scoggin, Naima Moustaid-Moussa

Molecular Patterns of Extreme and Persistent Cholesterol Efflux Capacity
Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (2021)
Ayea El-Ghazali, Sneha Deodhar, Suzanne Saldanha, Brooke Smyth, Mark Izbrand

Discordant dose-dependent metabolic effects of Eicosapentaenoic acid in diet-induced obese mice
Nutrients (2020)
Mandana Pahlavani, L Ramalingam, E Miller, H Davis, S Scoggin

Eicosapentaenoic acid regulates inflammatory pathways through modulation of transcripts and miRNA in adipose tissue of obese mice
Biomolecules (2019)
T Ramalho, Mandana Pahlavani, N Kalupahana, N Wijayatunga, L Ramalingam

Eicosapentaenoic acid reduces adiposity, glucose intolerance and increases oxygen consumption independently of UCP1
Molecular Nutrition and food research (2019)
Mandana Pahlavani, L Miller, E Miller, S Scoggin, K Menikdiwela

An integrative transcriptomic approach to identify differentially expressed genes and miRNAs in visceral, subcutaneous, and brown adipose tissue from high fat fed mice
Oncotarget (2018)
N Wijayatunga, Mandana Pahlavani, R Kottapalli, P Kottapalli, L Ramalingam

Transcriptomic and microRNA analyses of gene networks regulated by Eicosapentaenoic acid in brown adipose tissue of diet-induced obese mice
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids (2018)
Mandana Pahlavani, N Wijayatunga, R Kottapalli, L Ramalingam, P Gunaratne

Adipose tissue inflammation in insulin resistance: review of mechanisms mediating anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
Journal of Investigative Medicine (JIM) (2017)
Mandana Pahlavani, T Ramalho, I Koboziev, M LaMieux, S Jayarathne

Regulation and functions of the renin-angiotensin system in white and brown adipose tissue
Comprehensive Physiology (2017)
Mandana Pahlavani, N Kalupahana, L Ramalingam, N Moustaid-Moussa

Eicosapentaenoic acid regulates brown adipose tissue metabolism in high-fat- fed mice and in clonal brown adipocytes
Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry (2017)
Mandana Pahlavani, F Razafimanjato, L Kalupahana, S Moussa, H Moussa

Externally Funded Projects

Novel microencapsulation of red wine pomace to modulate gut health in coronary artery disease
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Food and Human Health | $300,000.00 | 2024
Role: Principal Investigator

The role of glycolytic beige fat in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
PRI-American Heart Association | $300,000.00 | 2023
Role: Co-Principal Investigator

The Role of Inflammation and Oxidation in Impaired Reverse Cholesterol Transport: A Translational Approach
American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship | $141,000.00 | 2022
Role: Principal Investigator

Integrated gene and microRNA networks mediating anti-inflammatory effects of omega 3 fatty acids in diet-induced obesity
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Postdoctoral Fellowship | $165.00 | 2018
Role: Principal Investigator

Internally Funded Projects

The role of inflammation and oxidation in impaired reverse cholesterol transport: a translational approach in Dallas Heart Study
Texas Woman's University | $8,000.00 | 2024
Research Grant

Professional Affiliations

• American Heart Association (AHA)
• American Society for Nutrition (ASN)
• The Obesity Society (TOS)