Katrin Svensson

Katrin Svensson, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine 

Research Description: The overall goal of the Svensson Laboratory is to increase the understanding of how hormones and circulating protein factors regulate energy homeostasis under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Dr. Svensson’s research program uses an integrated discovery-molecular physiology approach to identify and study orphan hormones involved in regulating energy expenditure and obesity-related disorders such as diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Additionally, she has developed protocols to isolate, characterize and phenotype heterogeneous cell populations from metabolic organs from mice with established metabolic diseases. This approach, when combined with single-cell transcriptomics analyses and CRISPR-mediated gene editing, has allowed her to resolve the cellular landscape during disease progression of fatty liver disease, including the identification of novel transcriptional regulators of de novo lipogenesis. Recently, she has identified circulating proteins with previously unknown functions, and elucidated their role in regulating glucose homeostasis, energy expenditure and insulin resistance. Dr. Svensson's long-term goal is to apply these discoveries toward the development of novel protein therapeutics or biomarkers for metabolic disorders. Dr. Svensson serves as co-leader of the Metabolism and Signaling in Diabetes Research Affinity Group in the SDRC. 

Selected relevant publications (Stanford DRC members are in BOLD):

  1. Jung Y, Zhao M, Svensson KJ. Isolation, culture, and functional analysis of hepatocytes from mice with fatty liver disease. STAR Protoc. 2020 Dec 15;1(3):100222. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100222. PMID: 33377114; PMCID: PMC7757664. 

  2. Zhao M, Jung Y, Jiang Z, Svensson KJ. Regulation of Energy Metabolism by Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Ligands. Front Physiol. 2020 Apr 21;11:354. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00354. PMID: 32372975; PMCID: PMC7186430. 

  3. Long JZ, Roche AM, Berdan CA, Louie SM, Roberts AJ, Svensson KJ, Dou FY, Bateman LA, Mina AI, Deng Z, Jedrychowski MP, Lin H, Kamenecka TM, Asara JM, Griffin PR, Banks AS, Nomura DK, Spiegelman BM. Ablation of PM20D1 reveals N-acyl amino acid control of metabolism and nociception. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Jul 17;115(29):E6937-E6945. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1803389115. Epub 2018 Jul 2. PMID: 29967167; PMCID: PMC6055169. 

  4. Lin H, Long JZ, Roche AM, Svensson KJ, Dou FY, Chang MR, Strutzenberg T, Ruiz C, Cameron MD, Novick SJ, Berdan CA, Louie SM, Nomura DK, Spiegelman BM, Griffin PR, Kamenecka TM. Discovery of Hydrolysis-Resistant Isoindoline N-Acyl Amino Acid Analogues that Stimulate Mitochondrial Respiration. J Med Chem. 2018 Apr 12;61(7):3224-3230. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00029. PMID: 29533650; PMCID: PMC6335027. 

  5. Zhao M, Linde-Garelli KY, Zhang Z, Toomer D, Reghupaty SC, Jimenez JI, Coassolo L, Wat LW, Fernandez D, Svensson KJ. ANGPTL3 orchestrates hepatic fructose sensing and metabolism. Cell Rep. 2025 Jul 22;44(7):115962. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115962. Epub 2025 Jul 9. PMID: 40638391; PMCID: PMC12324827. 

  6. Zhang Z, Svensson KJ. Discovery of peptides as key regulators of metabolic and cardiovascular crosstalk. Cell Rep. 2025 Jun 24;44(6):115836. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115836. Epub 2025 Jun 16. PMID: 40526470; PMCID: PMC12265896. 

  7. Kajimura S, García-Cáceres C, Kazak L, Thorp EB, Svensson KJ, Yang L. Cell Metabolism 20th anniversary Voices: Part 2 of 3. Cell Metab. 2025 May 6;37(5):1039-1042. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.04.004. PMID: 40334640. 

  8. Coassolo L, Wiggenhorn A, Svensson KJ. Understanding peptide hormones: from precursor proteins to bioactive molecules. Trends Biochem Sci. 2025 Jun;50(6):481-494. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.03.014. Epub 2025 Apr 14. PMID: 40234176; PMCID: PMC12145250. 

  9. Zhao M, Lone J, Reghupaty S, Linde-Garelli KY, Svensson KJ. Progress in Understanding the Regulation of Glucose and Fructose Metabolism. Annu Rev Nutr. 2025 Apr 18:10.1146/annurev-nutr-111824-012939. doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-111824-012939. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40249960; PMCID: PMC12353360. 

  10. Coassolo L, Svensson KJ, Gare CL, White AM, Malins LR, Smith AB, Chekan JR. Harnessing the power of peptides: advances and collaborations in biochemistry. Trends Biochem Sci. 2025 Jun;50(6):458-460. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.05.001. Epub 2025 May 22. PMID: 40410072. 

  11. Jiang H, Tiche SJ, He CJ, Liu J, Bian F, Jedoui M, Forgo B, Islam MT, Zhao M, Emengo P, He B, Li Y, Li AM, Truong AT, Ho J, Simmermaker C, Yang Y, Zhou MN, Hu Z, Svensson KJ, Cuthbertson DJ, Hazard FK, Xing L, Shimada H, Chiu B, Ye J. Restoring mitochondrial quantity and quality to reverse the Warburg effect and drive neuroblastoma differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Sep 9;122(36):e2502483122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2502483122. Epub 2025 Sep 5. PMID: 40911595; PMCID: PMC12435223. 

  12. Yu GZ, Krentz NAJ, Bentley L, Zhao M, Paphiti K, Sun H, Honecker J, Nygård M, Dashti H, Bai Y, Reid M, Thaman S, Wabitsch M, Rajesh V, Yang J, Mattis KK, Abaitua F, Casero R, Hauner H, Knowles JW, Wu JY, Mandrup S, Claussnitzer M, Svensson KJ, Cox RD, Gloyn AL. Loss of RREB1 reduces adipogenesis and improves insulin sensitivity in mouse and human adipocytes. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jul 31:2024.07.30.605923. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.30.605923. PMID: 39131393; PMCID: PMC11312556. 

  13. Coassolo L, Liu T, Jung Y, Taylor NP, Zhao M, Charville GW, Nissen SB, Yki-Jarvinen H, Altman RB, Svensson KJ. Mapping transcriptional heterogeneity and metabolic networks in fatty livers at single-cell resolution. iScience. 2022 Dec 15;26(1):105802. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105802. PMID: 36636354; PMCID: PMC9830221. 

  14. O'Brien CG, Ozen MO, Ikeda G, Vaskova E, Jung JH, Bayardo N, Santoso MR, Shi L, Wahlquist C, Jiang Z, Jung Y, Zeng Y, Egan E, Sinclair R, Gee A, Witteles R, Mercola M, Svensson KJ, Demirci U, Yang PC. Mitochondria-Rich Extracellular Vesicles Rescue Patient-Specific Cardiomyocytes From Doxorubicin Injury: Insights Into the SENECA Trial. JACC CardioOncol. 2021 Jul 27;3(3):428-440. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccao.2021.05.006. PMID: 34604804; PMCID: PMC8463733. 

  15. Jiang Z, Zhao M, Voilquin L, Jung Y, Aikio MA, Sahai T, Dou FY, Roche AM, Carcamo-Orive I, Knowles JW, Wabitsch M, Appel EA, Maikawa CL, Camporez JP, Shulman GI, Tsai L, Rosen ED, Gardner CD, Spiegelman BM, Svensson KJ. Isthmin-1 is an adipokine that promotes glucose uptake and improves glucose tolerance and hepatic steatosis. Cell Metab. 2021 Sep 7;33(9):1836-1852.e11. PMID: 34348115; PMCID: PMC8429235. 

  16. Coassolo L, Dannieskiold-Samsøe NB, Zhao M, Allen H, Svensson KJ. New players of the adipose secretome: Therapeutic opportunities and challenges. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2022 Dec;67:102302. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2022.102302. Epub 2022 Oct 1. PMID: 36195010; PMCID: PMC9772291. 

  17. He S, Zambelli VO, Sinharoy P, Brabenec L, Bian Y, Rwere F, Hell RC, Stein Neto B, Hung B, Yu X, Zhao M, Luo Z, Wu C, Xu L, Svensson KJ, McAllister SL, Stary CM, Wagner NM, Zhang Y, Gross ER. A human TRPV1 genetic variant within the channel gating domain regulates pain sensitivity in rodents. J Clin Invest. 2022 Dec 6:e163735. doi: 10.1172/JCI163735. 

  18. Zhao M, Banhos Danneskiold-Samsøe N, Ulicna L, Nguyen Q, Voilquin L, Lee DE, White JP, Jiang Z, Cuthbert N, Paramasivam S, Bielczyk-Maczynska E, Van Rechem C, Svensson KJ. Phosphoproteomic mapping reveals distinct signaling actions and activation of muscle protein synthesis by Isthmin-1. Elife. 2022 

  19. Bielczyk-Maczynska E, Zhao M, Zushin PH, Schnurr TM, Kim HJ, Li J, Nallagatla P, Sangwung P, Park CY, Cornn C, Stahl A, Svensson KJ, Knowles JW. G protein-coupled receptor 151 regulates glucose metabolism and hepatic gluconeogenesis. Nat Commun. 2022 Dec 1;13(1):7408. 

  20. Maller J, Morgan T, Morita M, McCarthy F, Jung Y, Svensson KJ, Elias JE, Macaubas C, Mellins E. Extracellular vesicles in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Leukoc Biol. 2023 Oct 26;114(5):387-403. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad059. PMID: 37201912; PMCID: PMC10602196. 

  21. Wiggenhorn AL, Abuzaid HZ, Coassolo L, Li VL, Tanzo JT, Wei W, Lyu X, Svensson KJ, Long JZ. A class of secreted mammalian peptides with potential to expand cell-cell communication. Nat Commun. 2023 Dec 8;14(1):8125. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43857-0. PMID: 38065934; PMCID: PMC10709327. 

  22. Bielczyk-Maczynska E, Sharma D, Blencowe M, Saliba Gustafsson P, Gloudemans MJ, Yang X, Carcamo-Orive I, Wabitsch M, Svensson KJ, Park CY, Quertermous T, Knowles JW, Li J. A single-cell CRISPRi platform for characterizing candidate genes relevant to metabolic disorders in human adipocytes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2023 Sep 1. PMID: 37486064; PMCID: PMC10635647. 

  23. Wei W, Riley NM, Lyu X, Shen X, Guo J, Raun SH, Zhao M, Moya-Garzon MD, Basu H, Sheng-Hwa Tung A, Li VL, Huang W, Wiggenhorn AL, Svensson KJ, Snyder MP, Bertozzi CR, Long JZ. Organism-wide, cell-type-specific secretome mapping of exercise training in mice. Cell Metab. 2023 Jul. PMID: 37141889; PMCID: PMC10524249. 

  24. Liu H, Yerevanian A, Westerhoff M, Hastings MH, Guerra JRB, Zhao M, Svensson KJ, Cai B, Soukas AA, Rosenzweig A. Roles of Activin A and Gpnmb in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). Diabetes. 2024 Feb 1;73(2):260-279. doi: 10.2337/db23-0357. PMID: 37934943; PMCID: PMC10796305. 

  25. Wei W, Lyu X, Markhard AL, Fu S, Mardjuki RE, Cavanagh PE, Zeng X, Rajniak J, Lu N, Xiao S, Zhao M, Moya-Garzon MD, Truong SD, Chou JC, Wat LW, Chidambaranathan-Reghupaty S, Coassolo L, Xu D, Shen F, Huang W, Ramirez CB, Jang C, Li L, Svensson KJ, Fischbach MA, Long JZ. PTER is a N-acetyltaurine hydrolase that regulates feeding and obesity. Nature. 2024 Sep;633(8028):182-188. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07801-6. Epub 2024 Aug 7. PMID: 39112712; PMCID: PMC11374699. 

  26. Guerrero JA, Klysz DD, Chen Y, Malipatlolla M, Lone J, Fowler C, Stuani L, May A, Bashti M, Xu P, Huang J, Michael B, Contrepois K, Dhingra S, Fisher C, Svensson KJ, Davis KL, Kasowski M, Feldman SA, Sotillo E, Mackall CL. GLUT1 overexpression in CAR-T cells induces metabolic reprogramming and enhances potency. Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 6;15(1):8658. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52666-y. PMID: 39370422; PMCID: PMC11456602. 

  27. Banhos Danneskiold-Samsøe N, Kavi D, Jude KM, Nissen SB, Wat LW, Coassolo L, Zhao M, Santana-Oikawa GA, Broido BB, Garcia KC, Svensson KJ. AlphaFold2 enables accurate deorphanization of ligands to single-pass receptors. Cell Syst. 2024 Nov 20;15(11):1046-1060.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.cels.2024.10.004. Epub 2024 Nov 13. PMID: 39541981; PMCID: PMC12147870. 

  28. Reghupaty SC, Coassolo L, Zhao M, Narasimhan RL, Patel A, Lone J, Bielczyk-Maczynska E, Danneskiold-Samsoee NB, Brown T, Jiang Z, Li VL, Svensson KJ. Genetic depletion of adipose-derived Isthmin-1 causes hepatic steatosis. Mol Metab. 2025 Aug;98:102172. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2025.102172. Epub 2025 May 26. PMID: 40436204; PMCID: PMC12172293. 

  29. Zhao M, Linde-Garelli KY, Zhang Z, Toomer D, Reghupaty SC, Jimenez JI, Coassolo L, Wat LW, Fernandez D, Svensson KJ. ANGPTL3 orchestrates hepatic fructose sensing and metabolism. Cell Rep. 2025 Jul 22;44(7):115962. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115962. Epub 2025 Jul 9. PMID: 40638391. 

  30. Moya-Garzon MD, Wang M, Li VL, Lyu X, Wei W, Tung AS, Raun SH, Zhao M, Coassolo L, Islam H, Oliveira B, Dai Y, Spaas J, Delgado-Gonzalez A, Donoso K, Alvarez-Buylla A, Franco-Montalban F, Letian A, Ward CP, Liu L, Svensson KJ, Goldberg EL, Gardner CD, Little JP, Banik SM, Xu Y, Long JZ. A β-hydroxybutyrate shunt pathway generates anti-obesity ketone metabolites. Cell. 2025 Jan 9;188(1):175-186.e20. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.032. Epub 2024 Nov 12. PMID: 39536746; PMCID: PMC11724754. 

  31. Turn RE, Hilgendorf KI, Johnson CT, Han K, Aziz-Zanjani MO, Swails Bollinger S, Domizi P, Cheng R, Rabiee A, Zhu Y, Jiang Z, Asthana A, Demeter J, Svensson KJ, Bassik MC, Jackson PK. A genome-wide, CRISPR-based screen reveals new requirements for translation initiation and ubiquitination in driving adipogenic fate change. Genes Dev. 2025 Jul 17. doi: 10.1101/gad.352779.125. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40675820. 

  32. Coassolo L, B Danneskiold-Samsøe N, Nguyen Q, Wiggenhorn A, Zhao M, Wang DC, Toomer D, Lone J, Wei Y, Patel A, Liparulo I, Kavi D, Wat LW, Reghupaty SC, Kim JJ, Asemi T, Bielczyk-Maczynska E, Li VL, Moya-Garzon MD, Krentz NAJ, Stahl A, Chou DH, Luo L, Svensson KJ. Prohormone cleavage prediction uncovers a non-incretin anti-obesity peptide. Nature. 2025 May;641(8061):192-201. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-08683-y. Epub 2025 Mar 5. PMID: 40044869; PMCID: PMC12043402.