Biography

Kripa Shankar, Ph.D. is an Assistant Instructor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of its Center for Hypothalamic Research.

Originally from India, Dr. Shankar holds a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Chhatrapati SahuJi Maharaj University in Kanpur, and a master’s degree in biotechnology from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, in Lucknow. He earned his doctorate in life sciences from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. Dr. Shankar conducted postdoctoral research in Dr. Jeffrey Zigman’s lab in the Center for Hypothalamic Research, where he investigated the role of ghrelin in body weight and glucose homeostasis.

Dr. Shankar’s research interests include blood glucose counter-regulation, body weight, and energy homeostasis. His research work has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications. In 2021, the Obesity Society awarded him the Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award. He serves as Associate Editor for BMC Research Notes and as an ad hoc reviewer for multiple other academic journals.

Personal Note

In his free time, he enjoys watching cricket, playing with his son, and cooking Indian food.

Research Interest

  • Blood Glucose Counter-regulation
  • Body Weight and Energy Homeostasis
  • Ghrelin Biology

Publications

Featured Publications LegendFeatured Publications

Ghrelin cell-expressed insulin receptors mediate meal- and obesity-induced declines in plasma ghrelin.
Shankar K, Takemi S, Gupta D, Varshney S, Mani BK, Osborne-Lawrence S, Metzger NP, Richard CP, Berglund ED, Zigman JM, JCI Insight 2021 Sep
LEAP2 deletion in mice enhances ghrelin's actions as an orexigen and growth hormone secretagogue.
Shankar K, Metzger NP, Singh O, Mani BK, Osborne-Lawrence S, Varshney S, Gupta D, Ogden SB, Takemi S, Richard CP, Nandy K, Liu C, Zigman JM, Mol Metab 2021 Aug 101327
Disrupting the ghrelin-growth hormone axis limits ghrelin's orexigenic but not glucoregulatory actions.
Gupta D, Patterson AM, Osborne-Lawrence S, Bookout AL, Varshney S, Shankar K, Singh O, Metzger NP, Richard CP, Wyler SC, Elmquist JK, Zigman JM, Mol Metab 2021 May 53 101258
Acyl-ghrelin Is Permissive for the Normal Counterregulatory Response to Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia.
Shankar K, Gupta D, Mani BK, Findley BG, Lord CC, Osborne-Lawrence S, Metzger NP, Pietra C, Liu C, Berglund ED, Zigman JM, Diabetes 2020 02 69 2 228-237
Ghrelin Protects Against Insulin-Induced Hypoglycemia in a Mouse Model of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
Shankar K, Gupta D, Mani BK, Findley BG, Osborne-Lawrence S, Metzger NP, Liu C, Berglund ED, Zigman JM, Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020 11 606
Role of brown adipose tissue in modulating adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in high-fat diet fed mice.
Shankar K, Kumar D, Gupta S, Varshney S, Rajan S, Srivastava A, Gupta A, Gupta AP, Vishwakarma AL, Gayen JR, Gaikwad AN, Eur J Pharmacol 2019 Jul 854 354-364
?1-adrenergic receptors mediate plasma acyl-ghrelin elevation and depressive-like behavior induced by chronic psychosocial stress.
Gupta D, Chuang JC, Mani BK, Shankar K, Rodriguez JA, Osborne-Lawrence S, Metzger NP, Zigman JM, Neuropsychopharmacology 2019 06 44 7 1319-1327
Chronic hyperinsulinemia promotes meta-inflammation and extracellular matrix deposition in adipose tissue: Implications of nitric oxide.
Kumar D, Shankar K, Patel S, Gupta A, Varshney S, Gupta S, Rajan S, Srivastava A, Vishwakarma AL, Gaikwad AN, Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018 12 477 15-28
Chronic hyperinsulinemia reduces insulin sensitivity and metabolic functions of brown adipocyte.
Rajan S, Shankar K, Beg M, Varshney S, Gupta A, Srivastava A, Kumar D, Mishra RK, Hussain Z, Gayen JR, Gaikwad AN, J Endocrinol 2016 09 230 3 275-90
Rohitukine inhibits in vitro adipogenesis arresting mitotic clonal expansion and improves dyslipidemia in vivo.
Varshney S, Shankar K, Beg M, Balaramnavar VM, Mishra SK, Jagdale P, Srivastava S, Chhonker YS, Lakshmi V, Chaudhari BP, Bhatta RS, Saxena AK, Gaikwad AN, J Lipid Res 2014 06 55 6 1019-32

Honors & Awards

  • Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award
    (2021)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

  • American Diabetes Association
  • The Obesity Society