Faculty Snapshot: Anthony Ferrante

Tell us a bit about your work.
As a physician, I've long been fascinated by the effect of body weight on how our bodies function. The research in my laboratory focuses on how fat tissue interacts with the immune system and how we regulate our body weight.

What are you most excited about right now? 
While there is much in the world that makes me anxious about our future, the generosity, energy, intelligence of people that I talk with each day buoys me and lets me look to the future with hope. The resilience of patients, the dedication of colleagues, the enthusiasm of students, all bring smiles and hope and ignites these traits in me.  

We are at a turning point in understanding treating metabolic disorders including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. I am excited to see whether the promise of new scientific insights translate into therapies and prevention that improve the lives of patients.  

What are you looking forward to most once we all return to campus?
In a time when our days alternate between scheduled Zoom meetings and working in isolation, I look forward to unscheduled conversations with students, colleagues, and staff that bring life to my days. I miss the the moments when an excited student knocks on my door to show me the unexpected results of an experiment. I have lost touch with the staff who maintain my office and keep our laboratory running. I missed a year of stories about children starting kindergarten and getting married, about parents getting sick and about going to the beach. I miss the moments before departmental meetings and seminars, when I could chat with colleagues about experiments or commiserate about a grant application that is due or that wasn't funded. Despite its shortcomings, Columbia is a community of great people.  

To learn more about Dr. Ferrante's work, please visit his faculty website or email him directly.