Jane Ferguson, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Her research focus is on translational genomics, metabolomics, and the microbiome in cardiometabolic disease. This research spans bench science, human clinical studies, and large-scale data analysis, supporting an integrative functional and translational research program. Specific areas of interest include: 1) understanding the role of the metabolite alpha-aminoadipic acid (2-AAA) in the development of diabetes and atherosclerosis; 2) using genetics and metabolomics to probe risk factors in early disease development; and 3) understanding the role of the gut microbiome as a mediator of cardiometabolic disease.
Originally from Ireland, Dr. Ferguson completed her undergraduate degree in Human Genetics at Trinity College Dublin and received her PhD in nutrigenomics from University College Dublin, where her thesis work focused on gene-nutrient interactions in the Metabolic Syndrome. Dr. Ferguson moved to the U.S. in 2009 for postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, where her research focused on translational genomics of cardiovascular disease.