The research in our laboratory focuses on three main topics. Our first focus area is the crosstalk between Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress/unfolded protein response (UPR) and insulin receptor signaling systems. The second area is the relation between ER stress and development of leptin resistance in obesity. Our final area of investigation is the development of small molecule chemical chaperones to reduce ER stress to treat type 2 diabetes and diabetes.