Pegah Poursharifi

Education

• PDF (University of Montreal/CRCHUM)
• Ph.D. (Laval University)
• M.Sc. (Pasteur Institute of Iran)
• B.Sc. (Azad University)

Academic Positions

• Department member since 2025

Research Topics:

• Immunometabolism
• Lipid metabolism
• Obesity
• Atherosclerosis
• Inflammation
• Thermogenesis
• Adipose tissue
• Macrophage

Research

A central goal of my laboratory is to uncover the fundamental mechanisms that regulate how the body synthesizes, stores, and utilizes lipids. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism contributes to many prevalent chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and even certain infectious diseases.

Adipocytes store energy as triacylglycerols (lipogenesis) and, during energy demand, mobilize glycerol and free fatty acids through the sequential breakdown of these lipids (lipolysis). The overall mass of adipose tissue is determined by the balance between these two opposing processes, lipogenesis and lipolysis, which together form the two arms of the glycerolipid (GL) cycle. The GL cycle operates in many cells and tissues and regulates diverse biological processes.

Our research focuses on the role of the GL cycle and its components within three interconnected themes: (1) adipocyte biology, development, and thermogenesis; (2) macrophage biology and immunity; and (3) the cellular and molecular crosstalk between adipocytes and immune cells in health and disease. By delineating the molecular pathways that integrate lipid metabolism and immune function, we aim to uncover novel therapeutic targets and strategies for preventing and treating metabolic and inflammatory disorders.

Selected publications

1. Poursharifi P*†, Schmitt C†, Chenier I, Leung YH, Oppong AK, Bai Y, Klein L-L, Vilanou L, Al-Mass A, Lussier R, Abu-Farha M, Abubaker J, Al-Mulla, Dumais É, Flamand N, Provost N, Bernard C, Delerive P, Peyot M-L, Madiraju SRM, Prentki M*. ABHD6 suppression attenuates pro-inflammatory responses in mice and promotes anti-inflammatory polarization of macrophages during endotoxin stress. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 2026 6;1871(1):159694. [Article] *co-corresponding/†co-first authors
2. Poursharifi P*, Attané C, Klein L-L, Calce S-I, Mootoosamy C, Shea J, Chenier I, Ghosh A, Schmitt C, Al-Mass A, Bai Y, Roxane L, Leung YH, Oppong AK, Gauthier M-S, Coulombe B, Peyot M-L, Tchernof A, Madiraju SRM, Prentki M*. Suppression of adipocyte ABHD6 favors anti-inflammatory and adipogenic programs to preserve adipose tissue fitness in obesity. Molecular Metabolism, 2025;29;101:102241. [Article] *co-corresponding authors
3. Poursharifi P, Madiraju SRM, Oppong AK, Kajimura S, Blondin D, Prentki M. Glycerolipid cycling in thermogenesis, energy homeostasis, signaling, and diseases. Physiological Reviews, 2025;105(4):2449-2499. [Article]
4. Poursharifi P*, Schmitt C, Chenier I, Leung YH, Oppong AK, Bai Y, Klein L-L, Al-Mass A, Lussier R, Abu-Farha M, Abubaker J, Al-Mulla F, Peyot M-L, Madiraju SRM, Prentki M*. ABHD6 suppression promotes anti-inflammatory polarization of adipose tissue macrophages via 2-monoacylglycerol/PPAR signaling in obese mice. Molecular Metabolism, 2023. [Article] *co-corresponding authors
5. Al-Mass A, Poursharifi P, Peyot M-L, Lussier R, Chenier I, Leung YH, Ghosh A, Oppong A, Possik E, Mugabo Y, Ahmad R, Sladek R, Madiraju SRM, Almulla F, Prentki M. Hepatic glycerol shunt and glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase control liver metabolism and glucodetoxification under hyperglycemia. Molecular Metabolism, 2022; 66:101609. [Article]
6. Al-Mass A, Poursharifi P, Peyot M-L, Lussier R, Levens EJ, Guida J, Mugabo Y, Possik E, Ahmad R, Al-Mulla F, Sladek R, Madiraju SRM, Prentki M. Glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase operates a glycerol shunt in pancreatic β-cells that controls insulin secretion and metabolic stress. Molecular Metabolism, 2022; 60:101471. [Article]
7. Poursharifi P, Attane C, Mugabo Y, Almass A, Ghosh A, Schmitt C, Zhao S, Guida J, Lussier R, Erb H, Chénier I, Peyot ML, Joly E, Noll C, Carpentier AC, Madiraju SRM, Prentki M. Adipose ABHD6 regulates tolerance to cold and thermogenic programs. JCI Insight, 2020. [Article]
8. Poursharifi P, Madiraju SRM, and Prentki M. Monoacylglycerol signaling and ABHD6 in health and disease. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2017; 19 (Suppl 1):76-89. [Article]
9. Attane C, Peyot M-L, Lussier R, Poursharifi P, Zhao As, Zhang D, Morin J, Pineda M, Wang S, Dumortier O, Ruderman N.B, Mitchell G.A, Simons B, Madiraju SRM, Joly E, and Prentki M. A beta cell ATGL-lipolysis/adipose tissue axis controls energy homeostasis and body weight via insulin secretion in mice. Diabetologia, 2016;59(12):2654-63. [Article]
10. 1.   Mugabo Y, Zhao S, Seifried A, Gezzar S, AlMass A, Zhang D, Lamontagne J, Attane C, Poursharifi P, Iglesias J, Joly E, Peyot ML, Gohla A, Madiraju SRM, and Prentki M. Identification of a mammalian glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase: role in metabolic control and signaling in pancreatic β–cells and hepatocytes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 2016; 26;113(4):E430-9. [Article]
11. Zhao S†, Poursharifi P†, Mugabo Y, Levens EJ, Vivot K, Attane C, Iglesias J, Peyot ML, Joly E, Madiraju SRM, and Prentki M.  α/β hydrolase domain-6 and saturated long chain monoacylglycerol regulate insulin secretion promoted by both fuel and non-fuel stimuli. Molecular Metabolism, 2015; 4(12):940-950. [Article] †co-first authors
12. Poursharifi P, Rezvani R, Gupta A, Laponite M, Marceau P, Tchernof A, and Cianflone K. Association of immune and metabolic receptors C5aR and C5L2 with adiposity in women.  Mediators of Inflammation, 2014; 2014:413921. [Article]
13. Poursharifi P, Lapointe M, Fisette A, Lu H, Roy C, Munkonda MN, Fairlie DP, and Cianflone K. C5aR and C5L2 act in concert to balance immunometabolism in adipose tissue. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 2014; 382(1):325-33. [Article]
14. Poursharifi P, Lapointe M, Pétrin D, Devost D, Gauvreau D, Hébert TH, and Cianflone K. C5L2 and C5aR interaction in adipocytes and macrophages: insights into adipoimmunology. Cellular Signalling, 2013; 25(4):910-8. [Article]
15. Poursharifi P, Saghiri R, Ebrahimi-Rad M, Nazem H, Pourpak Z, Moin M, and Shams S. Adenosine deaminase in patients with primary immunodeficiency syndromes: the analysis of serum ADA1 and ADA2 activities. Clinical Biochemistry, 2009; 42(13-14):1438-43. [Article]