Cifarelli Lab
At the Cifarelli Lab, we study the role of the endothelium in tissue remodeling, inflammation and metabolic health.
We use primary and immortalized cells as well as animal models of diseases in combination with clinical and translation studies to investigate:
- The role of lipids in endothelial dysfunction
- Cross-family signaling in endothelial function
- Inflammation during dysfunctional lipid metabolism
People
Vincenza Cifarelli, Ph.D.
Principal investigator
Assistant professor of pharmacology and physiology (2022-present)
Assistant professor of medicine, Center for Human Nutrition Washington University
School of Medicine (2018-2022)
Postdoctoral fellow/Instructor, Washington University School of Medicine (2018)
Ph.D. in Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh of UPMC (2011)
Postdoctoral fellows
Simon Guignard
Ph.D., Digestive Health Research Institute, University of Toulouse, France
Graduate students
Silvia Gonzalez Nieves, Rotating SLU Core graduate Ph.D. student
B.S. Biology, University of the Andes (2012)
M.S. Biology, University of the Andes (2019)
Medical students
Thi Nguyen, SLU 2027
B.S. Saint Louis University (2020)
thi.nguyen@health.slu.edu
Ranjay Arul, SLU Class of 2027
Neuroscience
Alumni
- Shreya Karra
- Morgan Ross
- Anastasia Vinogradskai
Publications
- Faria AM, Valerio CM, Barcellos CR, Oliveira RA, Trujilho FR, Baiocchi JMT, Cifarelli V, Scherer PE, Halpern B. Unraveling lipedema: comprehensive insights and the path to future discoveries. NPJ Metab Health Dis. 2026 Jan 17;4(1):3. doi: 10.1038/s44324-025-00093-y.PMID: 41548036
- Guignard S, Chakraborty M, Gonzalez-Nieves S, DeBruin D, Ebert E, Vinogradskaia A, Brennan M, Teague RM, Chakraborty A, Cifarelli V. Loss of E3 ligase Ube4A Disrupts Colon Homeostasis and Accelerates Experimental Colitis via Altered Lipid Handling. bioRxiv. 2026 Jan 3:2026.01.02.697430. doi: 10.64898/2026.01.02.697430.
- Cifarelli V. How lipids speak to nerves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Dec 30;122(52):e2530035122.
- Cifarelli V, Smith GI, Gonzalez-Nieves S, Samovski D, Palacios HH, Yoshino J, Stein RI, Fuchs A, Wright TF, Klein S. Adipose Tissue Biology and Effect of Weight Loss in Women With Lipedema. Diabetes. 2025 Mar 1;74(3):308-319. doi: 10.2337/db24-0890.
- Cifarelli, V. Lipedema: Progress, Challenges, and the Road Ahead. Obes Rev. 2025 May 27:e13953. doi: 10.1111/obr.13953.
- Gonzalez-Nieves S, Wei X, Guignard S, Nguyen T, McQuillan J, Zhang Q, Zhang J, McGuffee RM, Ford DA, Semenkovich CF, Cifarelli V. Insulin regulates lymphatic endothelial integrity via palmitoylation. J Lipid Res. 2025 Mar 11;66(4):100775. doi: 10.1016/j.jlr.2025.100775. PMID: 40081576
- Fang Y, Gonzalez-Nieves S, Cifarelli V, Imoukhuede PI. Sex Differences in VEGF and PDGF Ligand and Receptor Protein Expression during Adipose Tissue Expansion and Regression. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Feb 17:2025.02.14.638177. doi: 10.1101/2025.02.14.638177. PMID: 40027606
- Adipose tissue biology and effect of weight loss in women with lipedema
Cifarelli V, Smith GI, Gonzalez-Nieves S, Samovski D, Palacios HH, Yoshino J, Stein RI, Fuchs A, Wright TF, Klein S.
Adipose tissue biology and effect of weight loss in women with lipedema.
Diabetes. 2024 Dec 9:db240890. doi: 10.2337/db24-0890. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39652636
- Cifarelli V, Peche V, Abumrad NA. Vascular and Lymphatic Regulation of Gastrointestinal
Function and Disease Risk. BBA Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2022.159207 - Cifarelli V, Kuda OJ, Yang K Liu X, Gross RW, Pietka TA, Heo GS, Sultan D, Luehmann
H, Lesser J, Ross M, Goldberg IJ, Gropler R, Liu Y, and Abumrad NA. Cardiac immune
cell infiltration associates with abnormal lipid metabolism. Frontiers in Cardiovascular
Medicine. Front. Cardiovasc. Med., 17 August 2022
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.948332
- Cifarelli V, Appak-Baskoy S, Peche VS, Kluzak A, Shew T, Narendran R, Pietka KM, Cella M, Walls CW, Czepielewski R, Ivanov S, Randolph GJ, Augustin HG, Abumrad NA. Visceral obesity and insulin resistance associate with CD36 deletion in lymphatic endothelial cells. Nature Communications. 2021 Jun 7;12(1):3350. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8184948.
- Fuchs A, Samovski D, Smith GI, Cifarelli V, Farabi SS, Yoshino J, Pietka T, Chang SW, Ghosh S, Myckatyn TM, Klein S. Associations among adipose tissue immunology, inflammation and exosomes and insulin sensitivity in people with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Gastroenterology. 2021 May 15; PubMed PMID: 34004161.
- Cifarelli V, Chen H, Scallan J. Editorial: The Role of the Lymphatic System in Lipid and Energy Metabolism, and Immune Homeostasis During Obesity and Diabetes. March 2021. Front. Physiol. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.652461.
- Goldberg IJ, Cabodevilla AG, Samovski D, Cifarelli V, Basu D, Abumrad NA. Lipolytic enzymes and free fatty acids at the endothelial interface. Atherosclerosis 2021 Jul;329:1-8.
- Cifarelli V, Beeman SC, Smith GI, Yoshino J, Morozov D, Beals JW, Kayser BD, Watrous JD, Jain M, Patterson BW, Klein S. Decreased adipose tissue oxygenation associates with insulin resistance in individuals with obesity. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2020, 130(12):6688-6699
Job Postings
A postdoc position is available immediately. Please contact Cifarelli at vincenza.cifarelli@health.slu.edu
If you are interested in Ph.D. training at the SLU School of Medicine, please visit the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program webpage.
Combined M.D./Ph.D. training is also offered, and information for this program can be found online.