Phillip James White | Scholars@Duke

Phillip James White
Assistant Professor in Medicine

Phillip White is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition. Phillip Co-Leads the White-McGarrah Lab with Robert McGarrah at the Duke Molecular Physiology Institue. Projects in the White-McGarrah Lab relate to the integrative physiology of metabolism with an emphasis on liver and heart function and the metabolic crosstalk that exists between these two vital organs.

Current Research Interests

Liver Related Projects:

Mechanisms of hepatic lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis.
Determinants of NAFLD status in Bariatric Surgery Patients.
Defining the impact of heart failure on liver metabolism.

Heart Related Projects:

Metabolic determinants of cardiac function.
Role of hepatic metabolic alterations in heart failure pathogenesis.
Functional significance of acylcarnitine associations with cardiac outcomes.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Assistant Professor in Medicine, Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Medicine 2021
Assistant Research Professor in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Basic Science Departments 2019
Member of Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute 2017

Contact Information

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Universite Laval (Canada) 2012
Duke Appointment History
- Assistant Professor in Medicine, Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Medicine 2017 - 2020
Recognition
In the News
- JAN 22, 2019 Medical Xpress
  
  Branched-chain amino acids regulate the development and progression of cancer
- MAY 18, 2018
  
  DIABETES RESEARCHERS FIND SWITCH FOR FATTY LIVER DISEASE Carbs, Fats and Protein: One molecule to rule them all?
- APR 6, 2016
  
  Drop in body temperature linked to aging aggravates manifestations of Alzheimer's disease
- FEB 2, 2016
  
  Six researchers each receive $1.625 million in "Pathway to Stop Diabetes®" awards
- MAY 13, 2014
  
  Scientists make another breakthrough in finding cure for diabetes
Expertise
Subject Headings
Research
Selected Grants
- Mechanisms connecting dysregulated BCAA, glucose & lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease awarded by National Institutes of Health 2019 - 2023
- Reshaping Liver Branched-Chain Alpha-Keto Acid Metabolism to Prevent Diabetic Cardiomyopathy awarded by American Diabetes Association 2021
- A New Homeostatic Mechanism for Metabolic Control awarded by American Diabetes Association 2016 - 2021
- Collaborative Study on Biomarkers of Fatty Liver Diseases awarded by Pfizer, Inc. 2017 - 2018
- Manipulation of BCAA Metabolism for Therapy of Diabetes and its Co-morbidities awarded by Eli Lilly and Company 2017 - 2018
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - White, Phillip J., Robert W. McGarrah, Mark A. Herman, James R. Bain, Svati H. Shah, and Christopher B. Newgard. “Insulin action, type 2 diabetes, and branched-chain amino acids: A two-way street.” Mol Metab 52 (October 2021): 101261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101261.
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  - Jachthuber Trub, Catherine, Metin Balikcioglu, Michael Freemark, James Bain, Michael Muehlbauer, Olga Ilkayeva, Phillip J. White, et al. “Impact of lifestyle Intervention on branched-chain amino acid catabolism and insulin sensitivity in adolescents with obesity.” Endocrinol Diabetes Metab 4, no. 3 (July 2021): e00250. https://doi.org/10.1002/edm2.250.
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  - Lee, Jennifer, Archana Vijayakumar, Phillip J. White, Yuping Xu, Olga Ilkayeva, Christopher J. Lynch, Christopher B. Newgard, and Barbara B. Kahn. “BCAA Supplementation in Mice with Diet-induced Obesity Alters the Metabolome Without Impairing Glucose Homeostasis.” Endocrinology 162, no. 7 (July 2021). https://doi.org/10.1210/endocr/bqab062.
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  - Choi, Béatrice S-Y, Noëmie Daniel, Vanessa P. Houde, Adia Ouellette, Bruno Marcotte, Thibault V. Varin, Cécile Vors, et al. “Feeding diversified protein sources exacerbates hepatic insulin resistance via increased gut microbial branched-chain fatty acids and mTORC1 signaling in obese mice.” Nat Commun 12, no. 1 (June 7, 2021): 3377. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23782-w.
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  - Yoneshiro, Takeshi, Naoya Kataoka, Jacquelyn M. Walejko, Kenji Ikeda, Zachary Brown, Momoko Yoneshiro, Scott B. Crown, et al. “Metabolic flexibility via mitochondrial BCAA carrier SLC25A44 is required for optimal fever.” Elife 10 (May 4, 2021). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.66865.
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  - Walejko, Jacquelyn M., Bridgette A. Christopher, Scott B. Crown, Guo-Fang Zhang, Adrian Pickar-Oliver, Takeshi Yoneshiro, Matthew W. Foster, et al. “Branched-chain α-ketoacids are preferentially reaminated and activate protein synthesis in the heart.” Nat Commun 12, no. 1 (March 15, 2021): 1680. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21962-2.
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  - White, Phillip J., and Manal F. Abdelmalek. “Insights Into Metabolic Mechanisms and Their Application in the Treatment of NASH.” Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 17, no. 1 (January 2021): 29–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/cld.1062.
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  - White, Phillip J., Amanda L. Lapworth, Robert W. McGarrah, Lydia Coulter Kwee, Scott B. Crown, Olga Ilkayeva, Jie An, et al. “Muscle-Liver Trafficking of BCAA-Derived Nitrogen Underlies Obesity-Related Glycine Depletion.” Cell Rep 33, no. 6 (November 10, 2020): 108375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108375.
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  - McGarrah, Robert W., Guo-Fang Zhang, Bridgette A. Christopher, Yann Deleye, Jacquelyn M. Walejko, Stephani Page, Olga Ilkayeva, Phillip J. White, and Christopher B. Newgard. “Dietary branched-chain amino acid restriction alters fuel selection and reduces triglyceride stores in hearts of Zucker fatty rats.” Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 318, no. 2 (February 1, 2020): E216–23. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00334.2019.
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  - Huang, Rong, Xiaohua Zong, Puviindran Nadesan, Janet L. Huebner, Virginia B. Kraus, James P. White, Phillip J. White, and Gurpreet S. Baht. “Lowering circulating apolipoprotein E levels improves aged bone fracture healing.” Jci Insight 4, no. 18 (September 19, 2019). https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.129144.
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  - Yoneshiro, Takeshi, Qiang Wang, Kazuki Tajima, Mami Matsushita, Hiroko Maki, Kaori Igarashi, Zhipeng Dai, et al. “BCAA catabolism in brown fat controls energy homeostasis through SLC25A44.” Nature 572, no. 7771 (August 21, 2019): 614–19. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1503-x.
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  - Hung, Yu-Han, Matt Kanke, C Lisa Kurtz, Rebecca Cubitt, Rodica P. Bunaciu, Ji Miao, Liye Zhou, et al. “Acute suppression of insulin resistance-associated hepatic miR-29 in vivo improves glycemic control in adult mice.” Physiol Genomics 51, no. 8 (August 1, 2019): 379–89. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00037.2019.
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  - Ericksen, Russell E., Siew Lan Lim, Eoin McDonnell, Wai Ho Shuen, Maya Vadiveloo, Phillip J. White, Zhaobing Ding, et al. “Loss of BCAA Catabolism during Carcinogenesis Enhances mTORC1 Activity and Promotes Tumor Development and Progression.” Cell Metab 29, no. 5 (May 7, 2019): 1151-1165.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2018.12.020.
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  - White, Phillip J., and Christopher B. Newgard. “Branched-chain amino acids in disease.” Science 363, no. 6427 (February 8, 2019): 582–83. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav0558.
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  - Hung, Yu-Han, Matt Kanke, Catherine Lisa Kurtz, Rebecca L. Cubitt, Rodica P. Bunaciu, Liye Zhou, Phillip J. White, et al. “MiR-29 Regulates de novo Lipogenesis in the Liver and Circulating Triglyceride Levels in a Sirt1-Dependent Manner.” Front Physiol 10 (2019): 1367. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.01367.
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  - White, Phillip J., Robert W. McGarrah, Paul A. Grimsrud, Shih-Chia Tso, Wen-Hsuan Yang, Jonathan M. Haldeman, Thomas Grenier-Larouche, et al. “The BCKDH Kinase and Phosphatase Integrate BCAA and Lipid Metabolism via Regulation of ATP-Citrate Lyase.” Cell Metab 27, no. 6 (June 5, 2018): 1281-1293.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2018.04.015.
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  - Gurley, Jami M., Olga Ilkayeva, Robert M. Jackson, Beth A. Griesel, Phillip White, Satochi Matsuzaki, Rizwan Qaisar, et al. “Enhanced GLUT4-Dependent Glucose Transport Relieves Nutrient Stress in Obese Mice Through Changes in Lipid and Amino Acid Metabolism.” Diabetes 65, no. 12 (December 2016): 3585–97. https://doi.org/10.2337/db16-0709.
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  - White, Phillip J., Amanda L. Lapworth, Jie An, Liping Wang, Robert W. McGarrah, Robert D. Stevens, Olga Ilkayeva, et al. “Branched-chain amino acid restriction in Zucker-fatty rats improves muscle insulin sensitivity by enhancing efficiency of fatty acid oxidation and acyl-glycine export.” Mol Metab 5, no. 7 (July 2016): 538–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2016.04.006.
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  - Vandal, Milene, Philip J. White, Marine Tournissac, Cyntia Tremblay, Isabelle St-Amour, Janelle Drouin-Ouellet, Melanie Bousquet, et al. “Impaired thermoregulation and beneficial effects of thermoneutrality in the 3×Tg-AD model of Alzheimer's disease.” Neurobiology of Aging 43 (July 2016): 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.03.024.
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  - Glynn, Erin L., Lucy W. Piner, Kim M. Huffman, Cris A. Slentz, Lorraine Elliot-Penry, Hiba AbouAssi, Phillip J. White, et al. “Impact of combined resistance and aerobic exercise training on branched-chain amino acid turnover, glycine metabolism and insulin sensitivity in overweight humans.” Diabetologia 58, no. 10 (October 2015): 2324–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-015-3705-6.
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  - Vandal, Milene, Phillip J. White, Geneviève Chevrier, Cyntia Tremblay, Isabelle St-Amour, Emmanuel Planel, Andre Marette, and Frederic Calon. “Age-dependent impairment of glucose tolerance in the 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.” Faseb J 29, no. 10 (October 2015): 4273–84. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.14-268482.
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  - White, Phillip J., Patricia L. Mitchell, Michael Schwab, Jocelyn Trottier, Jing X. Kang, Olivier Barbier, and André Marette. “Transgenic ω-3 PUFA enrichment alters morphology and gene expression profile in adipose tissue of obese mice: Potential role for protectins.” Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental 64, no. 6 (June 2015): 666–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2015.01.017.
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  - White, P. J., P. L. Mitchell, M. Schwab, J. Trottier, J. X. Kang, O. Barbier, and A. Marette. “Erratum: Transgenic ω -3 PUFA enrichment alters morphology and gene expression profile in adipose tissue of obese mice: Potential role for protectins (Metab Clin Exp (2015): 64 (666-676)).” Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental 64, no. 9 (January 1, 2015): E7–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2015.04.007.
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  - Vandal, Milene, Phillip J. White, Cyntia Tremblay, Isabelle St-Amour, Geneviève Chevrier, Vincent Emond, Dominique Lefrançois, et al. “Insulin reverses the high-fat diet-induced increase in brain Aβ and improves memory in an animal model of Alzheimer disease.” Diabetes 63, no. 12 (December 2014): 4291–4301. https://doi.org/10.2337/db14-0375.
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  - Shin, Andrew C., Martin Fasshauer, Nika Filatova, Linus A. Grundell, Elizabeth Zielinski, Jian-Ying Zhou, Thomas Scherer, et al. “Brain insulin lowers circulating BCAA levels by inducing hepatic BCAA catabolism.” Cell Metab 20, no. 5 (November 4, 2014): 898–909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2014.09.003.
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  - White, Phillip J., Philippe St-Pierre, Alexandre Charbonneau, Patricia L. Mitchell, Emmanuelle St-Amand, Bruno Marcotte, and André Marette. “Protectin DX alleviates insulin resistance by activating a myokine-liver glucoregulatory axis.” Nat Med 20, no. 6 (June 2014): 664–69. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.3549.
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  - White, Phillip J., and André Marette. “Potential role of omega-3-derived resolution mediators in metabolic inflammation.” Immunology and Cell Biology 92, no. 4 (April 2014): 324–30. https://doi.org/10.1038/icb.2013.112.
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  - Turner, N., G. M. Kowalski, S. J. Leslie, S. Risis, C. Yang, R. S. Lee-Young, J. R. Babb, et al. “Distinct patterns of tissue-specific lipid accumulation during the induction of insulin resistance in mice by high-fat feeding.” Diabetologia 56, no. 7 (July 2013): 1638–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-013-2913-1.
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  - Pilon, Geneviève, Jérôme Ruzzin, Laurie-Eve Rioux, Charles Lavigne, Phillip J. White, Livar Frøyland, Hélène Jacques, Piotr Bryl, Lucie Beaulieu, and André Marette. “Differential effects of various fish proteins in altering body weight, adiposity, inflammatory status, and insulin sensitivity in high-fat-fed rats.” Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental 60, no. 8 (August 2011): 1122–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2010.12.005.
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  - Pilon, Geneviève, Alexandre Charbonneau, Phillip J. White, Patrice Dallaire, Mylène Perreault, Sonia Kapur, and André Marette. “Endotoxin mediated-iNOS induction causes insulin resistance via ONOO⁻ induced tyrosine nitration of IRS-1 in skeletal muscle.” Plos One 5, no. 12 (December 28, 2010): e15912. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015912.
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  - White, Phillip J., Alexandre Charbonneau, Gregory J. Cooney, and André Marette. “Nitrosative modifications of protein and lipid signaling molecules by reactive nitrogen species.” Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 299, no. 6 (December 2010): E868–78. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00510.2010.
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  - White, Phillip J., Makoto Arita, Ryo Taguchi, Jing X. Kang, and André Marette. “Transgenic restoration of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in insulin target tissues improves resolution capacity and alleviates obesity-linked inflammation and insulin resistance in high-fat-fed mice.” Diabetes 59, no. 12 (December 2010): 3066–73. https://doi.org/10.2337/db10-0054.
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  - Gingras, Andrée-Anne, Phillip James White, P Yvan Chouinard, Pierre Julien, Teresa A. Davis, Luce Dombrowski, Yvon Couture, et al. “Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids regulate bovine whole-body protein metabolism by promoting muscle insulin signalling to the Akt-mTOR-S6K1 pathway and insulin sensitivity.” J Physiol 579, no. Pt 1 (February 15, 2007): 269–84. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2006.121079.
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  - White, P. J., and A. Marette. “Is omega-3 key to unlocking inflammation in obesity?” Diabetologia 49, no. 9 (September 2006): 1999–2001. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-006-0346-9.
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Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Service to the Profession

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Subject Headings

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Service to the Profession