Welcome

The focus of the Gillingham lab is on various novel therapies for fatty acid oxidation disorders (FAODs). For over 20 years, Dr. Gillingham and her team have performed basic research and human clinical trials on FAODs to look at the mechanisms that underlie them, the effects on patients, and novel therapies to treat them. Fatty acid oxidation disorders are inherited disorders of the metabolic pathway that break down fat for energy. These genetic defects affect the proper function of enzymes that are needed to utilize fat. This can leave the body short on energy during periods of increased energy demand from fat, such as prolonged fasting, exercise, or illness. Deficiencies in fatty acid oxidation are inherited recessively, meaning the patient must inherit two copies of an abnormal gene, one from each parent. Depending on the gene mutations, the clinical symptoms can range in type and severity, including cardiomyopathy, rhabdomyolysis, peripheral neuropathy, and retinopathy.