Biography

Luke Engelking, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a member of its Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases. His clinical interests include the treatment of patients with either known or suspected inherited disorders of polyposis and colorectal cancer, including Lynch syndrome, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Juvenile Polyposis syndrome, and Cowden syndrome.

Originally from Houston, Dr. Engelking received bachelor's degrees in biochemistry and genetics from Texas A&M University. He then completed his medical degree and a doctoral degree in biomedical science at UT Southwestern, where he studied cholesterol and fat metabolism under the tutelage of Michael Brown, M.D., and Joseph Goldstein, M.D. He obtained internal medicine residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and returned to UT Southwestern for clinical and research fellowships in gastroenterology.

As a postdoctoral researcher, he studied lipid synthesis in the intestine, which is recognized as a key metabolic organ at the center of nutrient homeostasis. He demonstrated that Sterol Response Element-Binding Proteins (SREBPs) are major players in the regulation of intestinal lipid synthesis.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine in both internal medicine and gastroenterology, Dr. Engelking joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2014.

After establishing his research laboratory, he began investigating the molecular underlying lipid regulation of intestinal epithelial homeostasis and tumorgenesis, supported by a K08 award (2014-2020) and currently by an R01 award (2019-2024) from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, as well as an individual investigator research award (R01 equivalent) grant from Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). His ultimate goals are to discover new lipid-derived oncometabolites that may be targeted in the fight against colon cancer, and to clarify the links between dietary lipids and intestinal cancers.

Dr. Engelking is an active member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the American Gastroenterological Association.

Education

Medical School
UT Southwestern Medical School (2007)
Residency
Massachusetts General Hospital (2010), Internal Medicine
Fellowship
UT Southwestern Medical Center (2014), Gastroenterology

Research Interest

  • Cholesterol and Fat Metabolism
  • Inherited Colon Cancer and Polyposis Syndromes, Lynch Syndrome, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Syndrome
  • Intestinal Stem Cell Function
  • SREBP, Scap and Insig Proteins

Publications

Featured Publications LegendFeatured Publications

Developmental and extrahepatic physiological functions of SREBP pathway genes in mice.
Engelking LJ, Cantoria MJ, Xu Y, Liang G Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 2017 Jul
Cholesterol auxotrophy and intolerance to ezetimibe in mice with SREBP-2 deficiency in the intestine.
Rong S, McDonald J, Engelking L J. Lipid Res. 2017 Jun
Hypoxia-inducible factor-1a activates insig-2 transcription for degradation of HMG CoA reductase in the liver.
Hwang S, Nguyen AD, Jo Y, Engelking LJ, Brugarolas J, DeBose-Boyd RA J. Biol. Chem. 2017 Apr
Insig proteins mediate feedback inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in the intestine.
McFarlane MR, Liang G, Engelking LJ J. Biol. Chem. 2014 Jan 289 4 2148-56

Honors & Awards

  • Disease-Oriented Clinical Scholar
    UT Southwestern (2014)
  • Distinguished Researcher's Award
    President's Research Council (2014)
  • Research Scholar in Liver Disease
    North American Gilead Sciences (2014)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
    UT Southwestern (2007)
  • Summa cum laude
    Texas A&M University (2000)
  • University Honors
    Texas A&M University (2000)
  • University Undergraduate Research Fellow
    Texas A&M University (2000)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

  • American Gastroenterological Association
  • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology