January 16, 2025 / 12:00 / HS2
Boryana Petrova
Medical University of Vienna
“Leveraging Metabolomics to Characterize Embryonic CSF During Inflammation”
Dr. Petrova is a broadly trained molecular biologist with extensive expertise in LCMS and metabolomics. Her dedication has enabled her to thrive as a metabolomics expert at prestigious institutions such as MIT and Harvard Medical School (HMS). As a postdoc at MIT, research on Drosophila oogenesis and Toxoplasma gondii drug resistance sparked her interest in metabolomics and LCMS. At Boston Children’s Hospital and HMS, as a staff scientist, she established the metabolomics mass spectrometry facility for the lab of Dr. N. Kanarek, overseeing daily operations and personnel, method development, and data analysis. Her extensive collaborations and independent research have applied metabolomics to various biological inquiries, including cancer, neuroinflammation, developmental biology and more, both in basic and clinically relevant settings. As an instructor at HMS, Dr. Petrova further focused on mentoring colleagues and students and has developed graduate-level courses on cancer metabolism and LCMS. Her commitment to teaching is further demonstrated by her roles as a lecturer at Northeastern University and the Cambridge Centre for International Research. Dr. Petrova has recently assumed the position of Director of the Research Metabolomics Core Facility at Medical University of Vienna. In this role, she aims to drive innovation in metabolomics, support collaborative research efforts, and pursue independent research initiatives.
The rising prevalence of obesity globally presents a critical social challenge, threatening to reverse the progress made in life expectancy in developed nations. Gaining a thorough understanding of the mechanisms behind fat cell production is, thus, essential for the development of novel treatment strategies. While past studies focused on individual molecular layers, we recognize the importance of considering higher network connectivity levels, particularly lipid feedback controlling the master regulator of adipogenesis, PPARG. Our approach integrates advanced lipidomics and proteomics techniques, monitoring PPARG and the lipidome during perturbations in vitro. Through innovative multiomics strategies and high-throughput imaging, we dissect feedback networks and identify lipid regulators of PPARG. This research not only advances scientific knowledge but also holds promise for future obesity drug development, potentially revolutionizing treatment approaches. 
