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Amrita Kamat, Ph.D.

Contact

210-617-5197

kamat@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Institutes & Centers

Amrita Kamat (nee Bhakta), Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Deputy Associate Chief of Staff /Research GRECC

Dr. Amrita Kamat is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and the Deputy Associate Chief of Staff (DACOS) for Research and Development at the Audie Murphy VA Hospital, South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS). She is also a faculty member of the Barshop Institute for Aging and Longevity/UTHSCSA and a Research Health Scientist with the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center/STVHCS. Dr. Kamat serves on various committees at UTHSCSA and the VA, and is a recipient of several professional honors and research grant awards. The primary focus of Dr. Kamat‘s research is to understand the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism during aging and in age-associated diseases, with particular emphasis on increased beta2-adrenergic receptor signaling in the liver. Novel findings from her laboratory suggest that increased hepatic beta2-adrenergic receptor signaling augments lipid accumulation and induces insulin resistance in the liver. More recently, Dr. Kamat‘s laboratory has been studying the role of beta2-adrenergic receptor signaling in the development of Parkinson‘s disease (PD). She is investigating whether beta2-adrenergic receptor agonists, commonly used as bronchodilators, may reduce/inhibit the pathogenesis of PD, a novel area of research in this field. Dr. Kamat has been involved in mentoring many students, especially in the Medical student Training in Aging Research Program, residents, postdoctoral fellows and faculty members. As DACOS at the VA, her responsibilities also include regular interactions and meetings with leadership at both UTHSCSA and STVHCS to increase research opportunities for UTHSCSA/VA investigators and increase collaborations between the two institutions.

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 1999 - Postdoctoral Fellowship - Biochemistry - University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
    • 1994 - Postdoctoral Fellowship - Physiology - University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
    • 1992 - PhD - Biomedical Sciences-Health and Environ Chemistry (Thesis title: Mechanism of Steroid Hormone Action: Modulation of Progesterone Receptor by Phosphorylation and Transformation) - Oakland University
    • 1986 - MS - Biochemistry (Highest honors-Secured first place in Mumbai (Bombay) University which includes more than 100 colleges) - Institute of Science
    • 1984 - BS - Biochemistry/Microbiology (First class with distinction) - Sophia College

    Appointments

    • 9/2014 - Associate Professor - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), Medicine, San Antonio
    • 3/2013 - Deputy Associate Chief of Staff (DACOS) for Research - South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), Research and Development, San Antonio
    • 7/2007 - Research Health Scientist - South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, San Antonio
    • 9/2003 - Faculty Member - Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, UTHSCSASan Antonio

  • Instruction & Training

    • 11/2017 - Present, Internal Medicine Research Fair, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 5/2017 - Present, Pulmonary and Palliative and Geriatrics Fellowship Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 7/2016 - Present, High School/Junior High School Student Supervision, South Texas Veterans Health Care System
    • 5/2013 - Present, Individual Instruction, South Texas Veterans Health Care System
    • 4/2013 - Present, Individual Instruction, South Texas Veterans Health Care System
    • 5/2007 - Present, Medical Students in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 6/2004 - Present, Individual Instruction, South Texas Veterans Health Care System
    • 6/2004 - Present, Individual Instruction, South Texas Veterans Health Care System
    • 7/2003 - Present, Post-Doctoral Student Supervision, South Texas Veterans Health Care System

  • Research & Grants

    Grants

    Federal

    Funding Agency NIH/NIDDK Title The role of TCTP in regulating adiponectin signaling Status Active Period 4/2015 - 3/2020 Role Co-Investigator Grant Detail The major goals of this project are to determine whether and how TCTP regulated hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism and plays a role in controlling adiponectin signaling in cells and in vivo.

    Private

    Funding Agency Kronos Longevity Research Institute Title Modulation of age-related changes in plasma membrane signal transduction by dietary fatty acids Status Active Period 10/2007 - Present Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail The goal of this continuing project is to investigate whether altered signaling properties in tissues during aging can be manipulated by changing plasma membrane lipid characteristics through dietary fatty acid manipulation. Funding Agency San Antonio Area Foundation Title Suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma progression by blocking beta2-adrenergic receptor activation Status Complete Period 4/2017 - 4/2019 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail Goal of this study is to determine whether beta2-adrenergic receptor activation enhances HCC progression and if treatment with β-AR blockers, currently used to treat heart diseases, suppresses HCC progression.

    State

    Funding Agency UTHSCSA-Department of Medicine Title Adiponectin and wound healing Status Active Period 3/2020 - 2/2021 Role Co-Principal Investigator Grant Detail The goal of this study is to test whether adiponectin promotes wound healing using both cells in culture and a a mouse model. We will also determine whether a novel pro-inflammatory factor CSF3 diminishes the role of adiponectin in promoting wound healing in subcutaneous adipose tissues. Funding Agency Claude D. Pepper Older American Independent Center-UTHSCSA Title Establishing the effect of aging on hepatic steatosis in the marmoset towards development of a new model Status Active Period 7/2019 - 6/2020 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail Goal of this project is to establish for the first time whether marmosets can be used to study the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Funding Agency Perry and Ruby Stevens Parkinson`s Disease Center of Excellence-UTHSCSA Title Beta2-adrenergic receptor activation and risk of Parkinson?s disease Status Active Period 12/2018 - 5/2020 Role Principal Investigator Grant Detail Goal of this study is to determine whether beta2-adrenergic receptor agonists can delay the onset of Parkinson?s disease.

  • Publications

      Journal Article

      Chen H, Sherban A, Nocon A, Li Y, Wang H, Xu MJ, Rui X, Han J, Jiang B, Lee D, Li N, Keyhani-Nejad F, Fan JG, Liu F, Kamat A, Musi M, Guarente L, Pacher P, Gao B, Zang M. DEP domain-containing mTOR-interacting protein suppresses lipogenesis and ameliorates hepatic steatosis and acute-on-chronic liver injury in alcoholic liver disease Hepatology 2018 Jan;. Kamat A. Altered expression of hepatic β-adrenergic receptors in aging rats: implications for age-related metabolic dysfunction in liver Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2018 Jan;314(4):574-583. Kamat (nee Bhakta) A. Alternative splicing variant of the scaffold protein APPL1 suppresses hepatic adiponectin signaling and function The Journal of biological chemistry 2018 Jan;293(16):496-514. Kamat A. β2-Adrenergic receptor ablation modulates hepatic lipid accumulation and glucose tolerance in aging mice Exp Gerontol 2016 Jan;:32-38. Kamat A, Herman M, Levina IS, Moudgil VK. Interaction of cycloalkanoprogesterones with mammalian progesterone receptor: binding of pregna-D'-pentaranes in the calf uterine cytosol Mol Cell Biochem 1993 Aug;125(2):153-161. Moudgil VK, Nath R, Kamat A, Nakao M. ZK98299, a novel antiprogesterone that does not interact with chicken oviduct progesterone receptor Biochim Biophys Acta 1991 Jan;1094(2):185-192.