Research summary
Food nutrients play a critical role in coordinating our metabolic health. Lower nutrient quality and non-nutritive additives—such as sweeteners, indigestible fats, preservatives and contaminants—interact with our cells, causing unknown consequences and potentially playing a detrimental role in our cells’ functions. As Canada Research Chair in Cell Signalling and Pharmacology, Dr. Jillian Rourke is trying to understand how what we put into our bodies affects our cells, and ultimately our overall health.
She and her research team are investigating how human cells sense nutrients and hormones and how they communicate through the activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to coordinate cellular function. Their goal is to address emergent biological questions, such as how GPCRs contribute to cellular nutrient sensing and metabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes and cancer. By answering questions like these, their research will support the development of safer nutrition guidelines, food products and medicines for all Canadians.