Wenfei Sun

Wenfei Sun, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Stanford University

Research Description: Dr. Sun’s research investigates how the nervous system synchronizes metabolism and cognition—from the neuronal circuits that consolidate memory and govern feeding behavior to the adipose-tissue innervation that shapes systemic glucose and lipid homeostasis. The Sun Lab integrates single-cell and spatial genomics, advanced circuit-tracing tools, and computational approaches with clinically derived biopsies and genetic models to map these neuro-metabolic pathways at molecular resolution. By reverse-translating clinical observations into mechanistic studies, the lab identifies points where diabetes, obesity, and age-related neurodegeneration disrupt cell-cell communication, paving the way for targeted interventions that restore cognitive function and metabolic balance.