University of Virginia-Main Campus · PharmacologyHarris Lab
Thurl E. Harris · Charlottesville, Virginia
Research Focus
Dr. Thurl E. Harris's lab at the University of Virginia focuses on understanding how our body manages energy, particularly during the process of eating and fasting. The lab studies how different types of adenosine receptors in our fat tissues respond to food intake and how these responses can become dysfunctional in obesity. By exploring these mechanisms, the research aims to uncover better ways to manage conditions like obesity and insulin resistance.
adenosine receptorsadipose tissuemetabolisminsulin resistanceobesityfatty acidspostprandialenergy balancelipolysisglucose regulation
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the role of A2B adenosine receptors in postprandial metabolism.
AIM 02Examine changes in adenosine receptor signaling in response to feeding and fasting.
AIM 03Assess the impact of obesity on adenosine receptor function in fat tissue.
AIM 04Determine how food intake influences a shift in adenosine receptor balance.
AIM 05Explore therapeutic avenues to address the defects in metabolic regulation in obesity.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemolecular biology techniquesgenetic manipulationpharmacological assessmentanimal models of obesitymetabolic assaysbiochemical analysisgene expression analysisdata interpretationexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications98bottom 24% of dept.348th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.7ktop 47% of dept.216th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.