University of California-Berkeley · BiochemistrySul Thermogenesis Lab
Hei Sook Sul · Berkeley, California
Research Focus
Dr. Hei Sook Sul's lab at UC Berkeley is focused on understanding how certain genes are activated in brown fat cells to help regulate body temperature and energy expenditure. The team studies a specific protein called UCP1, which plays a crucial role in burning fat to produce heat. By exploring how the activity of UCP1 is regulated, the lab aims to uncover new strategies for treating obesity and related metabolic diseases like diabetes.
UCP1thermogenesisobesitytranscription factorsCRISPR
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the role of a newly identified enhancer in regulating UCP1 expression.
AIM 02Examine the interplay between transcription factors and their co-regulators in thermogenesis.
AIM 03Evaluate the effects of UCP1 activation on energy expenditure in mice.
AIM 04Assess the potential therapeutic implications of enhancing UCP1 for obesity and diabetes.
AIM 05Characterize the epigenetic modifications at the UCP1 locus and their role in gene expression.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell culturemouse modelsCRISPRaCRISPRiATAC-seqgenomic editinghistone modificationeRNA productionbiological assays
Output against the department
Publications164bottom 47% of dept.213th of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations18ktop 24% of dept.95th of 402
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.