Christoph Buettner, MD, PhD

• Professor of Medicine and Chancellor Scholar
• Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition
• Vice Chair for Basic Research

• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  Professor with Tenure, Department of Medicine
  2020 - present
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  Professor with Tenure, Department of Medicine
  2016 - 2020
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  Associate Professor (with Tenure from 2015), Department of Medicine
  2011-2016
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
  2006 - 2011
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  Instructor, Department of Medicine
  2004 - 2006

• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital 
  Attending, Department of Medicine
  2020 - present
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  Attending, Department of Medicine
  2006 - 2022
• Montefiore Hospital and Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  Attending, Department of Medicine.
  2004 - 2006
• Montefiore Hospital and Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  Fellow in Endocrinology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  2002 - 2004
• Bellevue Hospital and Harbor Health Care System
  Resident in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine
  1999 - 2002
• Klinikum Innenstadt Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University
  Resident in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Germany
  1995 - 1997

Internship and Residencies
 

• Bellevue Hospital and New York Harbor Health Care System, NYU Medicine
  Internship and Residency
  1999-2002
• Klinikum Innenstadt, Ziemsenstr, Ludwig Maximilians University
  Medicine, Internship and Residency, Munich, Germany
  1995 - 1997

Research Fellowships
 

• Albert Einstein College and Montefiore Hospital
  Clinical Endocrine Fellowship
  2002-2004
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
  Endocrine Research Fellowship
  1997 - 1999

Postdoctoral Appointments
 

• Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
  Medicine, Endocrine
  1997 - 1999

• Ludwig Maximilians University
  Ph.D., Munich, Germany
  11/1998
• Ludwig Maximilians University
  M.D., Munich, Germany
  11/1994
• Ludwig Maximilians University
  B.S., Munich, Germany
  11/1990 

We study mechanisms of central control of peripheral metabolism and how this is altered in metabolic disease. We employ integrated physiology approaches to deconstruct the role of the brain in orchestrating organ crosstalk such as nutrient flux between adipose tissue and the liver and its relevance in regulating insulin action.

We aim to elucidate the role of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), adipose tissue lipolysis, lipotoxicity, glucose counter-regulation, and neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of diabetes and obesity. These studies may provide important insights into mechanisms that drive the development and progression of metabolic disease and allow the identification of novel therapeutic approaches for treating obesity and diabetes.

Ongoing Research Projects:

• Role of the SNS in the pathophysiology of diabetes and obesity
• CNS control of glucose counterregulation
• Metabolic dysregulation in traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Role of impaired insulin action (peripheral and central) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
• The role of circadian rhythms in metabolic control and cognition

Clinical Studies:

• Light, Metabolic Syndrome, and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Metabolic dysregulation in traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Antibiotics and hypoglycemia

• Member American Association of Physicians
  American Association of Physicians, 2022
• Member Interurban Clinical Club
  Interurban Clinical Club (founded by William Osler), 2016
• Member American Society of Clinical Investigation
  American Society of Clinical Investigation, 2012
• Career Development Award
  American Diabetes Association, 2011
• Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award
  Endowment by Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport, Sinai selected, 2010
• Hirschl Award
  Hirschl Trust. 2009

Overnutrition causes insulin resistance and metabolic disorder through increased sympathetic nervous system activity

Kenichi Sakamoto, Mary A Butera, Chunxue Zhou, Giulia Maurizi, Bandy Chen, Li Ling, Adham Shawkat, Likhitha Patlolla, Kavira Thakker, Victor Calle, Donald A Morgan, Kamal Rahmouni, Gary J Schwartz, Azeddine Tahiri and Christoph Buettner. Cell Metabolism. 2024 Oct 15:S1550-4131(24)00376-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.09.012. PMID: 39437790.

Brain insulin signalling in metabolic homeostasis and disease

Thomas Scherer, Kenichi Sakamoto and Christoph Buettner. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 2021 Aug;17(8):468-483. doi: 10.1038/s41574-021-00498-x. PMID: 34108679.

Alternatively activated macrophages do not synthesize catecholamines or contribute to adipose tissue adaptive thermogenesis

Katrin Fischer, Henry H Ruiz, Kevin Jhun, Brian Finan, Douglas J Oberlin, Verena van der Heide, Anastasia V Kalinovich, Natasa Petrovic, Yochai Wolf, Christoffer Clemmensen, Andrew C Shin, Senad Divanovic, Frank Brombacher, Elke Glasmacher, Susanne Keipert, Martin Jastroch, Joachim Nagler, Karl-Werner Schramm, Dasa Medrikova, Gustav Collden, Stephen C Woods, Stephan Herzig, Dirk Homann, Steffen Jung, Jan Nedergaard, Barbara Cannon, Matthias H Tschöp, Timo D Müller and Christoph Buettner. Nature Medicine. 2017 May;23(5):623-630. doi: 10.1038/nm.4316. Epub 2017 Apr 17. PMID: 28414329.

Binge drinking induces whole-body insulin resistance by impairing hypothalamic insulin action

Claudia Lindtner, Thomas Scherer, Elizabeth Zielinski, Nika Filatova, Martin Fasshauer, Nicholas K Tonks, Michelle Puchowicz and Christoph Buettner. Science Translational Medicine. 2013 Jan 30;5(170):170ra14. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005123. 

Brain insulin controls adipose tissue lipolysis and lipogenesis

Thomas Scherer, James O'Hare, Kelly Diggs-Andrews, Martina Schweiger, Bob Cheng, Claudia Lindtner, Elizabeth Zielinski, Prashant Vempati, Kai Su, Shveta Dighe, Thomas Milsom, Michelle Puchowicz, Ludger Scheja, Rudolf Zechner, Simon J Fisher, Stephen F Previs and Christoph Buettner. Cell Metabolism. 2011 Feb 2;13(2):183-94. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2011.01.008.

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