Megan Beetch

megan beetch
Post Doctoral Fellow

Alejandro Lab

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Minnesota, Integrative Biology and Physiology, 2020 - present
PhD, Human Nutrition Program, University of British Columbia, 2020
BS, Biology, University of St Thomas, 2015

Research summary

Fetal programming of obesity and insulin resistance; murine models of placental insufficiency via genetic manipulation of nutrient sensor proteins (mTOR) and anabolic signaling (IGF1R) in the placenta; investigation of placental nutrient transport and fetal growth restriction in murine models; molecular dissection of offspring islets and peripheral tissues to understand programming and health trajectory.

Research Funding Grants

  • Minnesota Obesity Prevention Training Program (T32) National Institute of Health, NIDDK, UMN (10/2022-)
  • Training Program in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (2nd year; NIH 5T32DK007203-42) National Institute of Health, NIDDK, University of Minnesota (Funded 10/2021 - present)

Publications

  • Beetch M, Akhaphong B, Wong A, Clifton B, Jo S, Mohan R, Lloréns JA, Alejandro EU. Impact of placental mTOR deficiency on peripheral insulin signaling in adult mice offspring. Submitted with revisions to J Mol Endocrinol. 2023 Sep 1; JME-23-0035. Online ahead of print.

  • Beetch M*, Jo S*, Gustafson, E, Wong A, Oribamise E, Chung G, Vadrevu S, Satin LS, Bernal-Mizrachi E, Alejandro EU. Sex differences in pancreatic beta cell physiology and glucose homeostasis in C57BL/6J mice. Journal of the Endocrine Society. 2023 July 25; 7(9).

  • Beetch M and Alejandro EU. Placental mTOR signaling and sexual dimorphism in metabolic health across the lifespan of offspring. Children (Basel). 2021 Oct 26;8(11):970. Review. PMCID: PMC8619510

  •  Wong A, Pritchard S, Moore M, Akhaphong B, Avula N, Beetch M, Fujitani Y, Alejandro EU. Overexpression of Pdx1, reduction of p53, or deletion of CHOP attenuates pancreas hypoplasia in mice with pancreas-specific O-GlcNAc transferase deletion. J Biol Chem. 2023 Jan 6;299(2):102878. PMCID: PMC9932656.

  • Chung G, Mohan R, Beetch M, Jo S, Alejandro EU. Placental insulin receptor transiently regulates glucose homeostasis in the adult mouse offspring of multiparous dams. Biomedicines. 2022 Mar 1;10(3):575. PMCID: PMC8945682
     
  • Moore M, Avula N, Wong A, Beetch M, Jo S, Alejandro EU. Reduction in O-GlcNAcylation mitigates the severity of inflammatory response in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in a mouse model. Biology. 2022 Feb 22;11(3):347. PMCID: PMC8945657
     
  • Akhaphong B, Baumann DC, Beetch M, Lockridge AD, Jo S, Wong A, Zemanovic T, Mohan R, Fondevilla DL, Sia M, Pineda-Cortel MRB, Alejandro EU. Placental mTOR complex 1 regulates fetal programming of obesity and insulin resistance in mice. JCI Insight. 2021 Jul 8. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.149271.
     
  • Moore M, Avula N, Jo S, Beetch M, Alejandro EU. Disruption of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine signaling in placenta induces insulin sensitivity in female offspring. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 28;22(13):6918. PMCID: PMC8267851
     
  • Essawy A, Jo S, Beetch M, Lockridge A, Gustafson E, Alejandro EU. O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) regulates pancreatic a-cell function in mice. J Biol Chem. 2021 Jan-Jun. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100297.