Welcome to the Bridges Lab

Bridges Lab Photo

We are interested in the factors which cause obesity, the mechanisms by which this happens and how interventions in this pathway can alleviate obesity or its associated diseases. Our group uses a variety of model systems including cell culture, yeast, flies and mice to understand the signaling and metabolic pathways which are involved in these processes. We then use modern molecular biology, genetic and pharmacological tools to manipulate and learn more about the physiology of obesity.

Find Out More About Us

Recent Publications

  1. Stephanie Eid, Pongrat Jaisil, Kai Guo, John Haynes, Crystal Pacut, Diana Rigan, Andrew Carter, Samuel Teener, Bhumsoo Kim, Chloe Kiriluk, William Lentz, Cameron Miller, Ian Webber-Davis, Haley McQuown, Dai-Gyu Wang, Adam Patterson, Emily Koubek, Dave Bridges, Junguk Hur, Jacob Meyer and Eva Feldman. Ketogenic Diet and Exercise Improve Peripheral Neuropathy in a Mouse Model of Metabolic Syndrome 2016. Diabetes Details Publisher Link
  2. Treyton Carr, Irit Hochberg and Dave Bridges. Differential Metabolic Signatures of Cushing's Disease Patients Dependent on their Obesity Status 2026. medRxiv Details Publisher Link Preprint
  3. Molly Mulcahy, Noura El Habbal, JeAnna Redd, Haijing Sun, Brigid Gregg and Dave Bridges. GDF15 knockout does not substantially impact perinatal body weight or neonatal outcomes in mice 2024. Endocrinology Our Thoughts Details Publisher Link
  4. Laura Saslow, Alison O'Brien, Kaitlyn Raymond, Hovig Bayandorian, Deanna Marriott, Judith Moskowitz, Jennifer Daubenmier, Dave Bridges, Cody Cousineau and Dina Griauzde. Feasibility and acceptability of an online multicomponent very low-carbohydrate intervention in young adult women with obesity: a pilot study 2024. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 10(1):102 Details Publisher Link
  5. Cody Cousineau, Detrick Snyder, JeAnna Redd, Sophia Turner, Treyton Carr and Dave Bridges. Reduced beta-hydroxybutyrate disposal after ketogenic diet feeding in mice 2024. bioRxiv Details Publisher Link Preprint

Click here for a list of papers.

Blog Posts

Click here for a list of posts.

News

Great post on Takreed Ali and her work on connecting public health nutrition to her local community.
March 22, 2026
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Congratulations to @cece.oc for her prize winning poster presentation on chronic stress and breastfeeding at last week’s Caswell Diabetes Institute annual meeting!
November 6, 2025
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Sharing our team’s recent work at yesterday’s excellent CDI-MOND symposium
October 31, 2025
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Along with Dr. Alex Rickard and the SPH Media team we have been developing new virtual reality tools both for teaching and for lab safety. Check out this link from the Center for Academic Innovation describing some of this work
October 22, 2025
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The Caswell Diabetes Institute is starting a free and open community-focused seminar series at the Ann Arbor District Library. Come learn from University of Michigan experts about the latest insights into diabetes prevention, treatment, and research.
September 9, 2025
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Click here for our Facebook page.

Journal Club

2026 Journal Club Articles

  • Brennan AM, Standley RA, Anthony SJ, Grench KE, Helbling NL, DeLany JP, Cornnell HH, Yi F, Stefanovic-Racic M, Toledo FGS, Coen PM, Carnero EA, Goodpaster BH. Weight Loss and Exercise Differentially Affect Insulin Sensitivity, Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength in Older Adults With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2022 May 5;77(5):1088-1097. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab240. PMID: 34406407; PMCID: PMC9071425. Publisher Link

    Feb. 23, 2026

  • Pratap AA, Holsinger RMD. Altered Brain Leptin and Leptin Receptor Expression in the 5XFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020 Nov 18;13(11):401. doi: 10.3390/ph13110401. PMID: 33218163; PMCID: PMC7698839. Publisher Link

    Feb. 16, 2026

  • Durakoglugil MS, Chen Y, White CL, Kavalali ET, Herz J. Reelin signaling antagonizes beta-amyloid at the synapse. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Sep 15;106(37):15938-43. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0908176106. Epub 2009 Sep 2. PMID: 19805234; PMCID: PMC2747222. Publisher Link

    Jan. 26, 2026

    • 2025 Journal Club Articles

  • O'Sullivan EJ, Perrine CG, Rasmussen KM. Early Breastfeeding Problems Mediate the Negative Association between Maternal Obesity and Exclusive Breastfeeding at 1 and 2 Months Postpartum. J Nutr. 2015 Oct;145(10):2369-78. doi: 10.3945/jn.115.214619. Epub 2015 Aug 19. PMID: 26290005; PMCID: PMC4592473. Publisher Link

    Nov. 20, 2025

  • Horvath D, Mink D, Saxena K, Inholz K, Wirtz PH, Basler M. Stress transmission in social groups of mice: unveiling physiological responses, behavioral patterns, and immune dynamics. iScience. 2025 May 27;28(6):112769. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112769. PMID: 40546941; PMCID: PMC12178794. Publisher Link

    Nov. 6, 2025

    • Click here for a list of journal club articles.