Education
- M.D., Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio
- B.S. in Biochemistry, Schreiner University
Research Interests
- Immunometabolism
- Cellular metabolism
Courses
- Human Anatomy
- Cell and Molecular Methods Lab
- Anatomy and Physiology
Biography
Benjamin T. Enslow, M.D., is an experienced biomedical researcher with a unique, multidisciplinary scientific background and specialized training in teaching and mentorship. He joined St. Mary’s University in the Fall of 2023 as an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences with a focus in Human Anatomy. He also serves as the Pre-Health Professions Faculty Advisor to guide students on the path to careers in health care.
Dr. Enslow’s research delves into the fascinating intersection and intricate overlap between two vital aspects of human physiology: metabolism and the immune system. The connection between metabolism and the immune system is a dynamic and two-way relationship. For instance, the immune system relies on a steady supply of energy and nutrients to function optimally. However, prolonged or excessive inflammation can adversely impact the body’s metabolism, contributing to conditions like insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. The Enslow laboratory focuses primarily on the cells of the adaptive immune system (T cells and B cells) and their dependence on lipids and other substances for fuel during healthy and pathologic immune responses. Unraveling the intricate connections between the immune system and metabolism can offer profound insights into various disease mechanisms, such as autoimmunity, diabetes and cancer. These insights can pave the way for innovative treatments and the creation of improved preventative approaches for a wide array health conditions.
Dr. Enslow received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Schreiner University and then his medical degree from the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Enslow was then a TL1 Translational Science Postdoctoral Research Fellow studying mitochondrial biology and cellular metabolism in the Department of Medicine at UTHSA. He then completed a second postdoctoral fellowship studying immunometabolism as a Saber-IRACDA scholar in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics at UTHSA.
Publications
Daw CC*, Ramachandran K*, Enslow BT*, Maity S, Bursic B, Novello MJ, Rubannelsonkumar CS**, Mashal AH**, Ravichandran J**, Bakewell TM, Wang W, Li K, Madaris TR, Shannon CE, Norton L, Kandala S, Caplan J, Srikantan S, Stathopulos PB, Reeves WB, Madesh M. Lactate Elicits ER-Mitochondrial Mg2+ Dynamics to Integrate Cellular Metabolism. Cell 2020 Oct 15;183(2):474-489.e17. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.049.
*Co-first authorship
**Undergraduate mentee authorship
Nemani N, Dong Z, Daw CC, Madaris TR, Ramachandran K, Enslow BT, Rubannelsonkumar CS**, Shanmughapriya S, Mallireddigari V, Maity S, SinghMalla P, Natarajanseenivasan K, Hooper R, Shannon CE, Tourtellotte WG, Singh BB, Reeves WB, Sharma K, Norton L, Srikantan S, Soboloff J, Madesh M. Mitochondrial pyruvate and fatty acid flux modulate MICU1-dependent control of MCU activity. Sci Signal. 2020 Apr 21;13(628):eaaz6206. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aaz6206.
**Undergraduate mentee authorship
Archer CR, Enslow BT, Carver CM, Stockand JD. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate directly interacts with the β and γ subunits of the sodium channel ENaC. J Biol Chem. 2020 Jun 5;295(23):7958-7969. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA120.012606.
Enslow BT, Stockand JD, Berman JM. Liddle’s syndrome mechanisms, diagnosis, and management. Integr Blood Press Control. 2019 Sep 3;12:13-22. doi: 10.2147/IBPC.S188869.
Huang Y, Li Z, Risinger AL, Enslow BT, Zeman CJ 4th, Gong J, Yang Y, Schanze KS. Fluorescence spectral shape analysis for nucleotide identification. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2019 Jul 30;116(31):15386-15391. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1820713116.
Archer CR, Enslow BT, Taylor AB, De la Rosa V, Bhattacharya A, Shapiro MS. A mutually induced conformational fit underlies Ca2+-directed interactions between calmodulin and the proximal C terminus of KCNQ4 K+ channels. J Biol Chem. 2019 Apr 12;294(15):6094-6112. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.006857.
Awards
- 1st place undergraduate mentee poster: Paredes A, Noriega GS, Klepikova V, Ho A, Vanz C, Collins EC, Leadbetter EA, Enslow BT. Examining the relationship between B cell T-bet and CD36 expression. 4th Annual Academic Showcase, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas. April 2024.
- 3rd place undergraduate mentee poster: Klepikova V, Paredes A, Noriega GS, , Ho A, Vanz C, Collins EC, Leadbetter EA, Enslow BT. T-bet+ B cells exhibit high levels of both extracellular and intracellular CD36 expression. 4th Annual Academic Showcase, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas. April 2024.