Kaveh Ashrafi, PhD

Title(s)Professor, Physiology
SchoolSchool of Medicine
Address600 16th Street, #N412C
San Francisco CA 94158
Phone415-514-4103
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    Collapse Research 
    Collapse research activities and funding
    Tetrad: Genetics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Training Grant
    NIH T32GM139786Jul 1, 2021 - Jun 30, 2026
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
    Role of the steroid hormone ADIOL in learning and memory, aging, and neurodegeneration
    NIH RF1AG068194Apr 15, 2021 - Mar 31, 2024
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Regulation of learning and memory by steroid hormone signaling during development and aging
    NIH R56AG068194Sep 30, 2020 - Aug 31, 2021
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Linking metabolism, neural function, and aging
    NIH R01AG046400Aug 15, 2014 - Feb 29, 2024
    Role: Principal Investigator
    A platform for rapid characterization of metabolic disrupters in whole animals
    NIH R21ES021412May 25, 2012 - Apr 30, 2015
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
    Genetic Analysis of C. elegans fat regulatory network
    NIH R01DK070149Sep 20, 2004 - Jun 30, 2010
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Genetic Analysis of Aging in C. elegans
    NIH R01AG011816Apr 1, 1994 - Mar 31, 2020
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry Training Grant
    NIH T32GM007810Jul 1, 1979 - Jun 30, 2021
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
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    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. The steroid hormone ADIOL promotes learning by reducing neural kynurenic acid levels. Genes Dev. 2023 12 26; 37(21-24):998-1016. Lemieux GA, Yoo S, Lin L, Vohra M, Ashrafi K. PMID: 38092521; PMCID: PMC10760639.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    2. Identifying lipid particle sub-types in live Caenorhabditis elegans with two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging. Front Chem. 2023; 11:1161775. Chen WW, Tang W, Hamerton EK, Kuo PX, Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K, Cicerone MT. PMID: 37123874; PMCID: PMC10137682.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1  
    3. Better living through communal eating. Cell Host Microbe. 2022 10 12; 30(10):1343-1344. Ashrafi K. PMID: 36228580.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    4. Neural production of kynurenic acid in Caenorhabditis elegans requires the AAT-1 transporter. Genes Dev. 2020 08 01; 34(15-16):1033-1038. Lin L, Lemieux GA, Enogieru OJ, Giacomini KM, Ashrafi K. PMID: 32675325; PMCID: PMC7397858.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    5. Spectroscopic coherent Raman imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans reveals lipid particle diversity. Nat Chem Biol. 2020 10; 16(10):1087-1095. Chen WW, Lemieux GA, Camp CH, Chang TC, Ashrafi K, Cicerone MT. PMID: 32572275; PMCID: PMC7789959.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 27     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    6. Intestinal peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation regulates neural serotonin signaling through a feedback mechanism. PLoS Biol. 2019 12; 17(12):e3000242. Bouagnon AD, Lin L, Srivastava S, Liu CC, Panda O, Schroeder FC, Srinivasan S, Ashrafi K. PMID: 31805041; PMCID: PMC6917301.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 13     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    7. Age- and stress-associated C. elegans granulins impair lysosomal function and induce a compensatory HLH-30/TFEB transcriptional response. PLoS Genet. 2019 08; 15(8):e1008295. Butler VJ, Gao F, Corrales CI, Cortopassi WA, Caballero B, Vohra M, Ashrafi K, Cuervo AM, Jacobson MP, Coppola G, Kao AW. PMID: 31398187; PMCID: PMC6703691.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 16     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    8. Tau/MAPT disease-associated variant A152T alters tau function and toxicity via impaired retrograde axonal transport. Hum Mol Genet. 2019 05 01; 28(9):1498-1514. Butler VJ, Salazar DA, Soriano-Castell D, Alves-Ferreira M, Dennissen FJA, Vohra M, Oses-Prieto JA, Li KH, Wang AL, Jing B, Li B, Groisman A, Gutierrez E, Mooney S, Burlingame AL, Ashrafi K, Mandelkow EM, Encalada SE, Kao AW. PMID: 30590647; PMCID: PMC6489414.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 15     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    9. The mTOR Target S6 Kinase Arrests Development in Caenorhabditis elegans When the Heat-Shock Transcription Factor Is Impaired. Genetics. 2018 11; 210(3):999-1009. Chisnell P, Parenteau TR, Tank E, Ashrafi K, Kenyon C. PMID: 30228197; PMCID: PMC6218238.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    10. Kynurenic acid accumulation underlies learning and memory impairment associated with aging. Genes Dev. 2018 01 01; 32(1):14-19. Vohra M, Lemieux GA, Lin L, Ashrafi K. PMID: 29386332; PMCID: PMC5828390.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 11     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    11. The beneficial effects of dietary restriction on learning are distinct from its effects on longevity and mediated by depletion of a neuroinhibitory metabolite. PLoS Biol. 2017 Aug; 15(8):e2002032. Vohra M, Lemieux GA, Lin L, Ashrafi K. PMID: 28763436; PMCID: PMC5538637.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 11     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    12. Phenotypic, chemical and functional characterization of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) as a potential anthelmintic drug target. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017 Jul; 11(7):e0005680. Long T, Rojo-Arreola L, Shi D, El-Sakkary N, Jarnagin K, Rock F, Meewan M, Rascón AA, Lin L, Cunningham KA, Lemieux GA, Podust L, Abagyan R, Ashrafi K, McKerrow JH, Caffrey CR. PMID: 28704396; PMCID: PMC5526615.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 23     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    13. Investigating Connections between Metabolism, Longevity, and Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2016 08; 27(8):586-596. Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K. PMID: 27289335; PMCID: PMC4958586.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 23     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    14. Conserved Genetic Interactions between Ciliopathy Complexes Cooperatively Support Ciliogenesis and Ciliary Signaling. PLoS Genet. 2015 Nov; 11(11):e1005627. Yee LE, Garcia-Gonzalo FR, Bowie RV, Li C, Kennedy JK, Ashrafi K, Blacque OE, Leroux MR, Reiter JF. PMID: 26540106; PMCID: PMC4635004.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 46     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    15. Neural Regulatory Pathways of Feeding and Fat in Caenorhabditis elegans. Annu Rev Genet. 2015; 49:413-38. Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K. PMID: 26473379.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 25     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    16. Stressing about misplaced fat is a key to longevity. Elife. 2015 Aug 19; 4. Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K. PMID: 26287524; PMCID: PMC4541491.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    17. Kynurenic acid is a nutritional cue that enables behavioral plasticity. Cell. 2015 Jan 15; 160(1-2):119-31. Lemieux GA, Cunningham KA, Lin L, Mayer F, Werb Z, Ashrafi K. PMID: 25594177; PMCID: PMC4334586.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 41     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    18. Insights and challenges in using C. elegans for investigation of fat metabolism. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 2015 Jan-Feb; 50(1):69-84. Lemieux GA, Ashrafi K. PMID: 25228063.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 23     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    19. OCT1 is a high-capacity thiamine transporter that regulates hepatic steatosis and is a target of metformin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jul 08; 111(27):9983-8. Chen L, Shu Y, Liang X, Chen EC, Yee SW, Zur AA, Li S, Xu L, Keshari KR, Lin MJ, Chien HC, Zhang Y, Morrissey KM, Liu J, Ostrem J, Younger NS, Kurhanewicz J, Shokat KM, Ashrafi K, Giacomini KM. PMID: 24961373; PMCID: PMC4103324.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 105     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    20. Loss of a neural AMP-activated kinase mimics the effects of elevated serotonin on fat, movement, and hormonal secretions. PLoS Genet. 2014 Jun; 10(6):e1004394. Cunningham KA, Bouagnon AD, Barros AG, Lin L, Malard L, Romano-Silva MA, Ashrafi K. PMID: 24921650; PMCID: PMC4055570.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 26     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    21. Defects in the C. elegans acyl-CoA synthase, acs-3, and nuclear hormone receptor, nhr-25, cause sensitivity to distinct, but overlapping stresses. PLoS One. 2014; 9(3):e92552. Ward JD, Mullaney B, Schiller BJ, He LD, Petnic SE, Couillault C, Pujol N, Bernal TU, Van Gilst MR, Ashrafi K, Ewbank JJ, Yamamoto KR. PMID: 24651852; PMCID: PMC3961378.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 15     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    22. Dopamine signaling regulates fat content through β-oxidation in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One. 2014; 9(1):e85874. Barros AG, Bridi JC, de Souza BR, de Castro Júnior C, de Lima Torres KC, Malard L, Jorio A, de Miranda DM, Ashrafi K, Romano-Silva MA. PMID: 24465759; PMCID: PMC3899111.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 10     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    23. Sumoylated NHR-25/NR5A regulates cell fate during C. elegans vulval development. PLoS Genet. 2013; 9(12):e1003992. Ward JD, Bojanala N, Bernal T, Ashrafi K, Asahina M, Yamamoto KR. PMID: 24348269; PMCID: PMC3861103.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 14     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    24. In silico molecular comparisons of C. elegans and mammalian pharmacology identify distinct targets that regulate feeding. PLoS Biol. 2013 Nov; 11(11):e1001712. Lemieux GA, Keiser MJ, Sassano MF, Laggner C, Mayer F, Bainton RJ, Werb Z, Roth BL, Shoichet BK, Ashrafi K. PMID: 24260022; PMCID: PMC3833878.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 11     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    25. Effects of Caenorhabditis elegans sgk-1 mutations on lifespan, stress resistance, and DAF-16/FoxO regulation. Aging Cell. 2013 Oct; 12(5):932-40. Chen AT, Guo C, Dumas KJ, Ashrafi K, Hu PJ. PMID: 23786484; PMCID: PMC3824081.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 31     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    26. AMP-activated kinase links serotonergic signaling to glutamate release for regulation of feeding behavior in C. elegans. Cell Metab. 2012 Jul 03; 16(1):113-21. Cunningham KA, Hua Z, Srinivasan S, Liu J, Lee BH, Edwards RH, Ashrafi K. PMID: 22768843; PMCID: PMC3413480.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 41     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    27. Analyses of C. elegans fat metabolic pathways. Methods Cell Biol. 2012; 107:383-407. Barros AG, Liu J, Lemieux GA, Mullaney BC, Ashrafi K. PMID: 22226531.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 21     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    28. Hyperactive neuroendocrine secretion causes size, feeding, and metabolic defects of C. elegans Bardet-Biedl syndrome mutants. PLoS Biol. 2011 Dec; 9(12):e1001219. Lee BH, Liu J, Wong D, Srinivasan S, Ashrafi K. PMID: 22180729; PMCID: PMC3236739.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 24     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    29. A whole-organism screen identifies new regulators of fat storage. Nat Chem Biol. 2011 Apr; 7(4):206-13. Lemieux GA, Liu J, Mayer N, Bainton RJ, Ashrafi K, Werb Z. PMID: 21390037; PMCID: PMC3076723.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 34     Fields:    
    30. A stress-responsive system for mitochondrial protein degradation. Mol Cell. 2010 Nov 12; 40(3):465-80. Heo JM, Livnat-Levanon N, Taylor EB, Jones KT, Dephoure N, Ring J, Xie J, Brodsky JL, Madeo F, Gygi SP, Ashrafi K, Glickman MH, Rutter J. PMID: 21070972; PMCID: PMC2998070.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 133     Fields:    
    31. Regulation of C. elegans fat uptake and storage by acyl-CoA synthase-3 is dependent on NR5A family nuclear hormone receptor nhr-25. Cell Metab. 2010 Oct 06; 12(4):398-410. Mullaney BC, Blind RD, Lemieux GA, Perez CL, Elle IC, Faergeman NJ, Van Gilst MR, Ingraham HA, Ashrafi K. PMID: 20889131; PMCID: PMC2992884.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 39     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    32. mTOR complex-2 activates ENaC by phosphorylating SGK1. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010 May; 21(5):811-8. Lu M, Wang J, Jones KT, Ives HE, Feldman ME, Yao LJ, Shokat KM, Ashrafi K, Pearce D. PMID: 20338997; PMCID: PMC2865740.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 52     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    33. Caenorhabditis elegans as an emerging model for studying the basic biology of obesity. Dis Model Mech. 2009 May-Jun; 2(5-6):224-9. Jones KT, Ashrafi K. PMID: 19407330; PMCID: PMC2675801.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 40     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    34. Rictor/TORC2 regulates Caenorhabditis elegans fat storage, body size, and development through sgk-1. PLoS Biol. 2009 Mar 03; 7(3):e60. Jones KT, Greer ER, Pearce D, Ashrafi K. PMID: 19260765; PMCID: PMC2650726.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 93     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    35. Fat rationing in dauer times. Cell Metab. 2009 Feb; 9(2):113-4. Cunningham KA, Ashrafi K. PMID: 19187769.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    36. C. elegans fat storage and metabolic regulation. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2009 Jun; 1791(6):474-8. Mullaney BC, Ashrafi K. PMID: 19168149; PMCID: PMC2772880.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 58     Fields:    
    37. A TRPV channel modulates C. elegans neurosecretion, larval starvation survival, and adult lifespan. PLoS Genet. 2008 Oct; 4(10):e1000213. Lee BH, Ashrafi K. PMID: 18846209; PMCID: PMC2556084.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 50     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    38. Neural and molecular dissection of a C. elegans sensory circuit that regulates fat and feeding. Cell Metab. 2008 Aug; 8(2):118-31. Greer ER, Pérez CL, Van Gilst MR, Lee BH, Ashrafi K. PMID: 18680713; PMCID: PMC2556218.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 114     Fields:    
    39. Serotonin regulates C. elegans fat and feeding through independent molecular mechanisms. Cell Metab. 2008 Jun; 7(6):533-44. Srinivasan S, Sadegh L, Elle IC, Christensen AG, Faergeman NJ, Ashrafi K. PMID: 18522834; PMCID: PMC2495008.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 98     Fields:    
    40. Impaired processing of FLP and NLP peptides in carboxypeptidase E (EGL-21)-deficient Caenorhabditis elegans as analyzed by mass spectrometry. J Neurochem. 2007 Jul; 102(1):246-60. Husson SJ, Janssen T, Baggerman G, Bogert B, Kahn-Kirby AH, Ashrafi K, Schoofs L. PMID: 17564681.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 34     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    41. Obesity and the regulation of fat metabolism. WormBook. 2007 Mar 09; 1-20. Ashrafi K. PMID: 18050496; PMCID: PMC4780880.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 84     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    42. Mapping out starvation responses. Cell Metab. 2006 Apr; 3(4):235-6. Ashrafi K. PMID: 16581000.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    43. Genome-wide RNAi analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans fat regulatory genes. Nature. 2003 Jan 16; 421(6920):268-72. Ashrafi K, Chang FY, Watts JL, Fraser AG, Kamath RS, Ahringer J, Ruvkun G. PMID: 12529643.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 329     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
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