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Welcome to the Walhout Lab

The Structure, Function and Evolution of Biological Networks

Broad system level of understanding diagramIn the Walhout lab we aim to understand how biological networks are organized, how their organization enables function, and how these networks evolve. Our main focus is on the gene regulatory networks that control proper gene expression, and on metabolic networks that provide building blocks and energy to support organism development, growth, wound healing, homeostasis, and response to nutritional, environmental and therapeutic inputs. We are particularly interested in the communication between metabolic and gene regulatory networks to ask important questions that navigate both broad systems-level as well as deep mechanistic biological processes. We mainly use the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system. Worms are highly adaptable, easy to manipulate, and have many analogs in human genetics. Furthermore, there are many genetic tools and worm-specific techniques that are not available for studying “higher” eukaryotes. Overall, our research involves three broad areas in systems biology:

  1. NETWORK STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND EVOLUTION
  2. TISSUE-RELEVANT NETWORKS
  3. HOST-MICROBIOTA INTERACTIONS IN NUTRITION AND DRUG RESPONSE

Recent News

Getting Results…
  • Foxetal2022_Fig1.png
    Jul 7, 2022

    Our new publication appears in Nature: C. elegans as a model for inter-individual variation in metabolism

    Our health is greatly influenced by our genome and diet. It is difficult to study metabolic phenotypes as a function of diet and genetic variation in humans, because such studies require the collection of large sets of data under precisely controlled conditions.

    Read more
  • Blog-post-07_2_2021-1024x488.jpg
    Jul 2, 2021

    Working together during the COVID-19 pandemic, a silver lining in a trying time

    Dr. Walhout recently wrote a post on the motivations of and the process behind our WormPaths paper (in press at Genetics). This post is featured on the Genetics Society of America “Genes to Genomes” blog. Below is an excerpt.

    Read more
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Recent Publications

  • A transcriptional cofactor regulatory network for the C. elegans intestine.

    A transcriptional cofactor regulatory network for the C. elegans intestine.

    Horowitz BB, Nanda S, Jacques MA, Walhout AJM. (2023). A transcriptional cofactor regulatory network for the C. elegans intestine. G3 jkad096.

    Read more
  • A D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase mutant reveals a critical role for ketone body metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans development

    A D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase mutant reveals a critical role for ketone body metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans development

    Ponomarova O, Zhang H, Li X, Nanda S, Leland TB, Fox BW, Starbard AN, Giese GE, Schroeder FC, Yilmaz LS, Walhout AJM. (2023). A D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase mutant reveals a critical role for ketone body metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans development. PLoS Biol 21(4): e3002057.

    Read more
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Marian Walhout, Ph.D.
Chair - Department of Systems Biology
The Maroun Semaan Chair in Biomedical Research

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Albert Sherman Center, Room 5.1051
386 Plantation St.
Worcester, MA 01605
E-mail: Marian Walhout

Lynn NeJaime, Assistant to Dr. Walhout
Albert Sherman Center, Room 5.1053
Phone: 508-856-3601
Fax: 508-856-2105

Lab Phone: 508-856-4367

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UMass Chan Medical School logo
Center for Cancer Systems Biology

News/Events

  • August, 2023

    Dr. Tanatcha Sanguanphun joined the group as a post-doc. Welcome Tanatcha!

  • July, 2023

    Congratulations to Shivani Nanda for successfully defending her Ph.D. thesis, "A Systems-Level Study of Transcriptional Regulation of C. elegans Metabolism," and earning her doctoral degree!

  • February, 2023

    Brent Horowitz successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis and graduated. Congrats Dr. Horowitz!

  • September, 2022

    Asya Litvak joins the Walhout Lab as an intern. 

  • June, 2022

    Alyxandra Starbard joins the Walhout Lab as a Research Lab Tech.

  • May, 2022

    Daniel Richards joins the Walhout Lab as a Research Associate.

  • April, 2022

    Juliet Bolduc joins the Walhout Lab as an undergrad intern. She will help Dr. Giese with metabolite screens.

  • July 7, 2021

    Congratulation to Dr. Gabrielle Giese for successfully defending her doctoral dissertation!

  • July 2, 2021

    Dr. Walhout writes a guest post on our recent WormPaths publication in the Genetics Society of America blog “Genes to Genomes.” Working together during the COVID-19 pandemic, a silver lining in a trying time

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