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Michelle Foster, PhD (she/her/hers)

Associate Dean
Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO, United States

I, Dr. Michelle Foster, am currently the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Colorado State University in the College of Health and Human Science. My faculty appointment as Full Professor, PhD, is in Food Science and Human Nutrition, where I direct the adipose tissue laboratory. My expertise in adipose tissue regulation brought me to the Lipedema Foundation where we collectively elucidate factors responsible for the pathophysiology associated with the disease. Lipedema pathophysiology progresses during periods of hormonal fluctuation such as, but not limited to, puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Hence, we postulate that estrogen signaling likely plays a contributory role in cause or exacerbation of lipedema pathophysiology. Indeed, scientist in the lipedema foundation identified hormones, both androgen and estrogen (specifically estrone), altered in lipedema patients. Adipose tissue, much like the reproductive system, functions as a reservoir and location of conversion and release site of hormones. Androgen/estrogen synthesis in adipose tissue contributes to local and systemic hormone action. Sex hormones produced in adipose depots are fundamental to adipocyte metabolism, such as but not limited to, lipid accumulation, fatty acid uptake, lipogenesis, and subsequently adipocyte/adipose depot size. Because the fat distribution in lipedema is characterized by excessive female-associated body fat distribution our focus pertained to studying if the fat dysregulation that occurs with lipedema is caused by aberrant estrogen signaling.

Disclosure(s):

The forementioned Program Planner, Faculty, Author, Moderator, or Speaker, has declared for this educational activity, having no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

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