Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston University Medical Center, 1992-1996
  • PhD, East Carolina University School of Medicine,  1992

Research Interests

Dr. Stephens's research is focused on adipocyte biology. In particular, she is  interested in how fat cell function contribute to systemic metabolic health. Her lab studies animal models that have increased fat mass can without impairments in metabolic health. Her lab's latest project is focused on KAT8, a protein expressed in many cell types that can impact gene regulation. The lack of KAT8 specifically in adipocytes leads to a loss of fat mass that is accompanied by Type 2 diabetes. Her lab's research has identified genes and proteins involved in metabolic diseases.

Department: Adipocyte Biology

Selected Publications

  1. Yoo, L, Mendoza, D., Richard, A.J., and Stephens, J.M. (2024) KAT8 beyond acetylation: A survey of its epigenetic regulation, genetic variability, and implications for human health. Genes 15 (5):639 doi: 10.3390/genes15050639.

  2. Harvey, I., Richard, A.J., Mendoza, T.M. and Stephens, J.M. (2023) Adipocyte STAT5 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5) is not required for glucocorticoid-induced metabolic dysfunction. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. (5):E438-E447. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00116.2023.

  3. Richard, A.J, Hang, H., Allerton, T.A., Zhao, P., Mendoza, T. Ghosh, S., Elks, C.M. and Stephens, J.M. (2022) Loss of adipocyte STAT5 confers increased depot specific adiposity in male and female mice that is not associated with altered adipose tissue lipolysis. Frontiers in Endocrinology.  doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.812802.

  4. Harvey, I. and Stephens, J.M. (2021) Artemisia scoparia promotes adipogenesis in the absence of adipogenic effectors. Obesity, in press April 23, 2021. 

  5. Richard, A.J, Hang, H., Allerton, T.A., Zhao, P., Ghosh, S., Elks, C.M. and Stephens, J.M. Loss of STAT5 in adipocytes increases subcutaneous fat via sex-dependent and depot-specific  pathways. BioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.24.436884

  6. Sanchez-Infantes, D. and Stephens, J.M.(2021) Adipocyte Oncostatin Receptor regulates adipose tissue homeostasis and inflammation. Frontiers in Immunology, doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.612013.

  7. A Burrell, J.A. and Stephens, J.M. (2021) KAT8, lysine acetyltransferase 8, is required for adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Biochem. Biophys. Acta Mol. Basis Dis.1867 (6) 16603.

  8. Allerton, T.D., Savoie, J., Fitch, M.D. Hellerstein, M.K., Stephens, J.M., and White, U.A. (2021) Exercise reduced the formation of new adipocytes in the adipose tissue of mice in vivo. PLOS One, 16(1):e0244804.