Welcome to the Valencia Laboratory

Postdoctoral Research Positions Available

Looking for a highly, motivated postdoctoral research fellow to join the laboratory to participate in research on obesity and diabetes.

We are dedicated to understanding the relationship between mitochondria and nutritional stressors in the context of metabolic disease. Within cells, small organelles known as mitochondria have a keen ability to sense and respond to energetic demand and substrate availability. In addition to energy production, mitochondria regulate a variety of cellular processes necessary to maintain overall health. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to metabolic diseases, including obesity, type II diabetes, and sarcopenia. We seek to better understand how mitochondria mediate the risk of developing disease in response to nutritional stressors (dieting, sugar/fat consumption, etc.).

Research:

Weight loss is the leading recommendation to reduce cardiometabolic risk in people with obesity. Our goal is to understand how mitochondria adapt to weight loss and how these adaptations mediate inflammation, insulin sensitivity, and lipid regulation. We work at the interface of bench and human research to 1) identify the link between mitochondrial function and cardiometabolic risk in humans and 2) investigate mechanisms and treatments using controlled animal and cell culture studies.

Sugar consumption has been linked to the development of metabolic disease, but less is known as to how mitochondrial function mediates its effect. As a postdoctoral fellow in David Marcinek’s lab, Dr. Valencia found that, in the absence of obesity, aged mice were highly susceptible to developing cardiac pathology in response to a high-sugar diet. This diet-effect was prevented when mice were provided with the synthetic drug elamipretide (Stealth Therapeutics), which improves mitochondrial bioenergetics in aged muscle. Future work will address how mitochondria responds and adapts to sugar consumption and how these changes mediate cardiometabolic risk.

Research Assistant Professor, Principal investigator

Interests: Mitochondria, running, dogs, mountains, new lab equipment, fresh blood samples

My research training includes degrees in Dietetics and Kinesiology from the University of Maryland and a career development award (K01) from NHLBI to study mitochondrial adaptations during weight loss in subjects with obesity. I have publications in the fields of metabolic disease, orthopedics, and geroscience. I developed a strong background in muscle and exercise physiology during my predoctoral training under the mentorship of Drs. Espen Spangenburg and Richard Lovering. To grow my expertise in mitochondrial biology, I joined David Marcinek’s lab for my postdoctoral training at the University of Washington to study the impact of mitochondrial-targeted interventions on age-related muscle loss. As a Research Assistant Professor, I am building a research program that spans translational and basic science, to address the role of mitochondria in metabolic disease.

Laboratory Members

Ana Patricia Valencia, PhD
Ana Patricia Valencia, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, Principal investigator
Interests: Mitochondria, running, dogs, mountains, new lab equipment, fresh blood samples
My research training includes degrees in Dietetics and Kinesiology from the University of Maryland and a career development award (K01) from NHLBI to study mitochondrial adaptations during weight loss in subjects with obesity. I have publications in the fields of metabolic disease, orthopedics, and geroscience. I developed a strong background in muscle and exercise physiology during my predoctoral training under the mentorship of Drs. Espen Spangenburg and Richard Lovering. To grow my expertise in mitochondrial biology, I joined David Marcinek’s lab for my postdoctoral training at the University of Washington to study the impact of mitochondrial-targeted interventions on age-related muscle loss. As a Research Assistant Professor, I am building a research program that spans translational and basic science, to address the role of mitochondria in metabolic disease.


Former Students

Maggie
Maggie

Undergraduate majoring in Public Health-Global Health, student volunteer
Interests: Nutrition-based diseases, art, dogs, piano, data analysis

Irene Wan
Irene Wan

Undergraduate majoring in Public Health, student volunteer
Interests: Diabetes, female health, heart diseases, reproductive health, dogs, ocean, dancing

Chris Wang
Chris Wang

Undergraduate majoring in Biochemistry and Nutrition, student volunteer
Interests: gym, scary movies, cars, sweet potato fries


Contact Us

750 Republican St, F643

Seattle, WA 98109

Lab Phone: (206) 685-9945

To inquire about Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Openings click on: apv4@uw.edu