Kartik Shankar, PhD, DABT
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Phone: (501) 364-2847

Dr. Shankar is an Investigator at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at UAMS. Research in his laboratory is focused on two central themes. The first area of investigation is to understand the developmental origins of childhood and adult obesity, specifically the long-term consequences of maternal obesity on the offspring. The research projects involve a wide range of experimental approaches including animal models, cell culture, molecular biology and genomics. The overall objectives of these studies are aimed at gaining a better mechanistic understanding of the physiological basis of fetal programming and through translational studies, provide novel opportunities for effective intervention. Studies examining facets of adipocyte biology and development are also in progress. The second area of investigation relates to health consequences of chronic alcohol consumption, specifically metabolic and endocrine derangements in liver, bone, and adipose tissues.

Dr. Shankar received his PhD in Toxicology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.

Badger TM, Ronis MJ, Wolff G, Stanley S, Ferguson M, Shankar K, Simpson P, Jo CH.  Soy protein isolate reduces hepatosteatosis in yellow Avy/a mice without altering coat color phenotype.  Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2008 Oct;233(10):1242-54.

Baumgardner JN, Shankar K, Hennings L, Albano E, Badger TM, Ronis MJ.  N-acetylcysteine attenuates progression of liver pathology in a rat model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.  J Nutr. 2008 Oct;138(10):1872-9.

Shankar K, Harrell A, Liu X, Chen JR, Nagarajan S, Badger TM and Ronis MJJ. Chronic ethanol consumption leads to disruption of vitamin d3 homeostasis associated with induction of renal 1, 25 dihydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1). Endocrinology. 149: 1748-1756, 2008.

Shankar K, Harrell A, Liu X, Gilchrist JM, Ronis MJJ and Badger TM. Maternal obesity at conception programs obesity in the offspring. Am. J. Physiol. Reg. Int. Comp. Physiol. 294: R528-2538, 2007.

Shankar K, Hidestrand M, Liu X, Chen JR, Perrien DS, Skinner RA, Lumpkin CK, Badger TM and Ronis MJJ. Chronic ethanol consumption inhibits post-lactational anabolic bone rebuilding in female rats J. Bone. Min. Res. 23: 338-349, 2008.

Shankar K, Ronis MJ and Badger TM. The effect of pregnancy and nutritional status on alcohol metabolism. Alc. Res. Health. 30: 55-59, 2007.

Shankar K, Hidestrand M, Xiao R, Skinner CM, Simmen FA, Badger TM and Ronis MJJ. Physiologic and Genomic analyses of nutrition-ethanol interactions during gestation: Implications for fetal alcohol toxicity Exp. Biol. Med. 231: 1379-1397, 2006.

Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center funding for investigators