Biography

Dr Hoy is Head of the Lipid Metabolism Laboratory in the Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences. His lab is a member of the Charles Perkins Centre. He is a Visiting Scientist in the Cancer Division of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Dr Hoy completed his BSc (Biomed Sc) and MSc (Research) at the University of Wollongong and PhD studies at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. He performed postdoctoral training at Monash University where he was a recipient of an NHMRC Biomedical Australian Research Fellow (2010-2013).

The Lipid Metabolism Laboratory has two major research themes:

Lipid Metabolism and Cancer

Metabolic diseases such as obesity and insulin resistance are risk factors for some cancers and have been shown to influence cancer behaviour. Tumours are characterised by a dramatic shift in their metabolic phenotype, primarily towards non-oxidative metabolism and increased lipid synthesis. That said, the role of fatty acid metabolism in the sustained growth of cancer cells has yet to be fully elucidated. This theme focuses on cancer metabolism; specifically, how intermediary metabolism and cancer behaviour is altered in an obese microenvironment and identifying novel metabolic therapeutic targets.

Lipid Metabolism and Insulin Resistance

The accumulation of lipid in tissues responsible for regulating blood glucose levels, including skeletal muscle and liver, results in the development of insulin resistance. The vast majority of fatty acids are stored in the lipid droplet as triacylglycerols. Hence, the lipid droplet is at the centre of intracellular lipid homeostasis. However, triacylglycerols are not mechanistically linked to the development of insulin resistance. Other lipid species that can arise from lipid processes that occur at the lipid droplet have been proposed to instigate insulin resistance. This theme aims to understand the role of the metabolic processes that occur at the lipid droplet that are altered with insulin resistance.