CDI is proud to welcome and introduce Dr. Chelsea Hepler, PhD. Chelsea is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona in 2011, followed by her master’s degree in Physiology from the University of Arizona in 2014, and her PhD in Integrative Biology from UT Southwestern in 2018.
Chelsea conducted her PhD research in Dr. Rana Gupta's lab, focusing on the maintenance and remodeling of visceral adipose tissue in obesity. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Joe Bass at Northwestern University, where she studied the connections between feeding time, adipose tissue metabolism, and energy balance. In October 2024, Chelsea began her own lab at the University of Michigan in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology and the Caswell Diabetes Institute. Her goal is to uncover the mechanisms through which the circadian clock regulates metabolism and physiology, and how circadian disruption leads to metabolic disease.
Chelsea recently moved to Ann Arbor with her family—husband Jon, son James, daughter Charlotte, and their dog Winston. She is excited to be part of the CDI and looks forward to collaborating with her new colleagues.