An Unexpected Journey Into Brown Fat Research for Metabolic Health: The 2025 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award Lecture

For many years, brown adipose tissue (BAT) was primarily regarded as a “heat organ” for rodents. Over the past 15 years, however, research in this field has shifted significantly toward understanding of the role of BAT in metabolic health, including systemic glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and protection against cardiometabolic disease. In this award lecture, I highlight key contributions from our laboratory and others that transformed brown fat research, including molecular insights into brown and beige adipocyte biogenesis and the discovery of UCP1-independent pathways through which brown and beige fat influence metabolic health beyond thermogenesis.