Education

  • 2009 - Postdoctoral Training (Islet Biology), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
  • 2004 - Ph.D. (Biochemistry), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
  • 1999 - B.S. (Biochemistry), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Research Interests

My laboratory focuses on understanding the inflammatory processes relevant to the eventual onset of T1DM and T2DM, with emphasis on pancreatic beta-cells. Our work on elucidating the transcriptional mechanism(s) of interleukin-1 responsive genes has evolved into projects that 1) investigate how islet beta-cells influence leukocytic recruitment and activity within the exocrine and endocrine pancreas; and 2) seek to understand intracellular signaling pathways regulating adaptive changes in proliferation, insulin secretion, and cellular viability.

Related to the above themes, a portion of the laboratory focuses on novel glucocorticoid receptor agonists as possible therapeutics to suppress autoimmune responses while preserving peripheral insulin action.

The lab is currently supported by three NIH grants: R01, R03, and R21.

Our approaches are truly interdisciplinary, involving bioanalytical mass spectrometry, cell culture models, proliferation and transcriptional assays, fluorescence microscopy, immunological and enzymatic assays, and novel transgenic mice. 

Department: Islet Biology and Inflammation

Selected Publications

Book Chapter

2020 J. Jason Collier and Susan J. Burke.
Chapter title: Pancreatic Islet Beta-cell Replacement Strategies.
Volume title: Cell Engineering and Regeneration.
Editors: Dr. Jeffrey Gimble, Dr. Heinz Redl, Dr. Susanne Wolbank, Dr. Darja Marolt, and Dr. Richard Oreffo.
Reference Series in Biomedical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-37076-7_3-1.

Review Articles (*,denotes corresponding author)

  1. 2017 J. Jason Collier*, Tim E. Sparer, Michael D. Karlstad and Susan J. Burke. Pancreatic Islet Inflammation: An Emerging Role for Chemokines. INVITED MINIREVIEW. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. Jul;59(1):R33-R46. doi: 10.1530/JME-17-0042.
  2. 2016 Susan J. Burke, Michael D. Karlstad, and J. Jason Collier*. Pancreatic Islet Responses to Metabolic Trauma. Shock. Sep;46(3):230-8. doi: 10.1097/SHK.0000000000000607. FEATURED ON THE JOURNAL COVER.
  3. 2015 Susan J. Burke and J. Jason Collier*. Transcriptional Regulation of Chemokine Genes: A Link to Pancreatic Islet Inflammation? INVITED MINIREVIEW. SPECIAL ISSUE: TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY GENES. Biomolecules 5; 1020-1034. doi:10.3390/biom5021020.

Primary Research Articles (*, denotes corresponding author)

  1. 2020 J. Jason Collier, Heidi M. Batdorf, Tamra M. Mendoza, David H. Burk, Thomas M. Martin, Jingying Zhang, Randall L. Mynatt, and Susan J. Burke. Hepatic IKKe expression is dispensable for high-fat feeding-induced increases in liver lipid content and alterations in glucose tolerance. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. Jan 1; 318(1): E11-E21. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00309.2019
  2. 2019 Susan J. Burke, Heidi M. Batdorf, Tai-Yu Huang, Joseph W. Jackson, Katarina A. Jones, Thomas M. Martin, Kristin E. Rohli, Michael D. Karlstad, Tim E. Sparer, David H. Burk, Shawn R. Campagna, Robert C. Noland, Paul L. Soto, and J. Jason Collier*. One week of continuous corticosterone exposure impairs hepatic metabolic flexibility, promotes islet beta-cell proliferation, and reduces physical activity in male C57BL/6J mice. J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. Dec;195:105468. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2019.105468..
  3. 2018 Susan J. Burke, Heidi M. Batdorf, David H. Burk, Thomas M. Martin, Tamra Mendoza, Krisztian Stadler, Wateem Alami, Michael D. Karlstad, Matthew J. Robson, Randy D. Blakely, Randall L. Mynatt, and J. Jason Collier*. Pancreatic Deletion of the Interleukin-1 Receptor Disrupts Whole Body Glucose Homeostasis and Promotes Islet ß-cell De-differentiation. Molecular Metabolism, pii: S2212-8778(18)30304-1. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.06.003.
  4. 2018 Susan J. Burke, Heidi M. Batdorf, Thomas M. Martin, David H. Burk, Robert C. Noland, Christopher R. Cooley, Michael D. Karlstad, William D. Johnson, and J. Jason Collier*. Liquid Sucrose Consumption Promotes Obesity and Impairs Glucose Tolerance without Altering Circulating Insulin Levels. Obesity. Jul;26(7):1188-1196. doi: 10.1002/oby.22217.
  5. 2018 Kruger C, Burke SJ, Collier JJ, Nguyen TT, Salbaum JM, Stadler K. Lipid peroxidation regulates podocyte migration and cytoskeletal structure through redox sensitive RhoA signaling. Redox Biol. Mar 6;16:248-254. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2018.02.024.
  6. 2017 Susan J. Burke, Heidi M. Batdorf, David H. Burk, Robert C. Noland, Adrianna Eder, Matthew Boulos, Michael D. Karlstad and J. Jason Collier*. db/db Mice Exhibit Features of Human Type 2 Diabetes that are Not Present in Weight matched C57BL/6J mice fed a Western Diet. Journal of Diabetes Research. 8503754. doi: 10.1155/2017/8503754.
  7. 2017 Susan J. Burke, Heidi M. Batdorf, Adrianna E. Eder, Michael D. Karlstad, David H. Burk, Robert C. Noland, Z. Elizabeth Floyd and J. Jason Collier*. Oral Corticosterone Administration Reduces Insulitis but Promotes Insulin Resistance and Hyperglycemia in Male Non-obese Diabetic Mice. American Journal of Pathology. Mar;187(3):614-626. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.11.009.
  8. 2016 Susan J. Burke, Michael D. Karlstad, Adrianna E. Eder, Kellie M. Regal, Danhong Lu, David H. Burk, and J. Jason Collier*.  Pancreatic ß-Cell production of CXCR3 ligands precedes diabetes onset. Biofactors. Nov 12;42(6):703-715. doi: 10.1002/biof.1304.
  9. 2016 Thomas Laeger, Diana C. Albarado, Susan J. Burke, Lexus Trosclair, John Hedgepeth, Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, Thomas W. Gettys, J. Jason Collier, Heike Münzberg, and Christopher D. Morrison. Metabolic responses to dietary protein restriction require an increase in FGF21 that is delayed by the absence of GCN2. Cell Reports, Jul 19;16(3): 707-16
  10. 2015 Susan J. Burke, Krisztian Stadler, Danhong Lu, Evanna Gleason, Anna Han, Dallas R. Donohoe, Richard C.Rogers, Gerlinda E. Hermann, Michael D. Karlstad, and J. Jason Collier*. IL-1 Reciprocally Regulates Chemokine and Insulin Secretion in Pancreatic beta-cells via NF-kB. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. Oct. 15; 309 (8): E715-26. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00153.2015.
  11. 2015 Susan J. Burke, Michael D. Karlstad, Kellie M. Regal, Tim E. Sparer, Danhong Lu, Carrie M. Elks, Ryan W. Grant, Jacqueline M. Stephens, David H. Burk and J. Jason Collier*. CCL20 is elevated during obesity and differentially regulated by NF-kB subunits in pancreatic beta-cells.
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Gene Regulatory Mechanisms Apr 13; 1849(6):637-652. doi:10.1016/j.bbagrm.2015.03.007.
  12. 2015 Susan J. Burke, Amanda L. May, Robert C. Noland, Danhong Lu, Marcela Brissova, Alvin C. Powers, Elizabeth M. Sherrill, Michael D. Karlstad, Shawn R. Campagna, Jacqueline M. Stephens, and J. Jason Collier*. Thiobenzothiazole-modified Hydrocortisones Display Anti-inflammatory Activity with Reduced Impact on Islet beta-cell Function. Journal of Biological Chemistry May 22; 290(21):13401-13416. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M114.632190.