Donald B. Jump, Ph.D.

Research Interests

My 40-year research career, first at Michigan State University and now at Oregon State University, has focused on defining how fatty acids (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA]) and glucose regulate hepatic gene expression. Over the years this research has shifted to examine the molecular basis for dietary fat as a control of hepatic health. As such, my colleagues and I, in the Molecular Nutrition and Diabetes Research Lab at OSU, investigate the molecular and metabolic basis of complications associated with obesity and diabetes. Specifically, our current focus is on the role diet plays in the onset and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a major global health problem.

The central theme of our research is that dietary fat plays a major role in the control of transcriptional regulatory networks affecting carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. Consumption of high-fat diets or diets with insufficient PUFA (omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA) contribute to the complications associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Such changes in dietary PUFA content disrupt regulatory networks controlling cell function. These events lead to complications of diabetes, such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease.

Our experimental approach employs a preclinical mouse model to assess the impact of specific dietary factors on the onset, progression, and remission of NAFLD. Our goal is to develop a nutritional strategy to attenuate disease progression and promote disease remission.