We are interested in understanding how ectopic lipid accumulation in states of inflammation and obesity impairs metabolic homeostasis. Specifically, our research is focused on understanding how the lipid metabolite: ceramide, induced under conditions of obesity and inflammation, impair nutrient sensing in adipose tissue and contribute to the development of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases etc. Moreover, we seek to understand how ceramides are regulated and how they modulate adipocyte-immune cell interaction to maintain adipose tissue homeostasis and function. An overreaching aim of our research is to translate our findings by developing clinical interventions that improve metabolic health. To this end, we hope our research, will lead to the identification of modulators and effectors of ceramide that will serve as a tractable therapeutic target for combating cardiometabolic disease.