Carsten Schmitz Peiffer

Carsten Schmitz Peiffer is an Associate Professor in the BIO department at The University of Sydney. His research focuses on medical biochemistry and metabolomics. He undertook his PhD with Professor Dick Denton at Bristol University (UK), where he investigated insulin signal transduction and the regulation of fat cell metabolism. He then joined the Garvan Institute to study how lipid oversupply interferes with normal insulin action. He joined the group of Professor Stephen Simpson at Sydney University to investigate how the proteome of metabolically-important tissues such as the liver is affected by nutrition, and how this contributes to metabolic disease and aging. He also collaborates with medicinal chemists at Monash University to develop inhibitors of protein kinase C for the treatment of metabolic disease.

Carsten Schmitz-Peiffer is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying insulin resistance and diabetes. His research explores the role of signal transduction pathways, particularly protein kinase C (PKC), in the development of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and other tissues. Schmitz-Peiffer's work investigates how lipid oversupply and ceramide accumulation disrupt insulin signaling, leading to metabolic dysfunction. His studies also examine the therapeutic potential of targeting PKC isozymes, such as PKCε and PKCθ, to improve glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion. His research has significant implications for understanding and treating type 2 diabetes.