Patel Laboratory

Mitochondrial Genetics, Cell Biology and Metabolism

Homeostasis is a type of biological balance by which organisms — and the cells that comprise them — maintain a stable internal environment. If homeostasis is lost, cells can fall into dysfunction and diseases can arise. When this happens in cellular organelles called mitochondria, the consequences can be far-reaching and devastating.

Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell but, in reality, they do so much more. In addition to producing energy through cellular respiration, mitochondria also help maintain homeostasis, support cell growth and manage cellular metabolism. Mitochondria also are unique among organelles because they have their own genome separate from the rest of the cell. Mutations in the mitochondrial genome are linked to a host of biological consequences, including inherited disease, age-related disorders and even the evolutionary process of speciation.

The Patel Lab studies how cells maintain mitochondrial homeostasis and explore what happens when this critical process breaks down. We seek to answer several fundamental questions with widespread implications for human health, including:

What is the molecular basis of mitochondrial copy number control?
How does epigenetic regulation influence the mitochondrial genome?
What cellular mechanisms govern transmission of mitochondrial mutants through the germline?
What role do signaling RNAs play in regulating mitochondrial function?

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122 peer-reviewed papers published in 2024, 63 of which were in high-impact journals
15 VAI-SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team clinical trials launched to date
10 clinical trials co-funded by VAI & Cure Parkinson's (out of 41 total International Linked Clinical Trials Program trials)

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Maulik Patel, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming

Areas of Expertise

Mitochondria, mitochondrial genetics, mito-nuclear communication, C. elegans, cellular stress

Biography

Dr. Maulik Patel studies how cells handle, store and expend energy, with a focus on how this intricate process, connected with metabolism and nutrition, interacts with other systems to influence health, disease and aging. His research centers on cellular “powerhouses” called mitochondria, which support day-to-day function and, when faulty, contribute to rare, devastating diseases in children and common degenerative conditions in aging adults.

After earning his B.A. in cognitive neurophilosophy from Grinnell College, Dr. Patel worked as a research assistant in the lab of Dr. Larry Katz at Duke University, where he studied pheromone-based memory development. He later earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University under the mentorship of Dr. Kang Shen. His doctoral research focused on synapse development and resulted in several high-impact publications.

Following graduate school, Dr. Patel joined the lab of Dr. Harmit Malik at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where he developed a mitochondria-focused research program. During his postdoc, Dr. Patel was awarded a prestigious Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship to support his work.

Dr. Patel joined Vanderbilt University as an assistant professor in 2015. Leveraging C. elegans as a model, his lab revealed new insights into mitochondria’s role in homeostasis, mitochondrial genome dynamics and mitochondrial fitness. Dr. Patel also developed and taught the undergraduate courses Introduction to Cell Biology and Principles of Human Disease. His commitment to supporting the next generation of scientists earned him the 2021 Excellence in Mentoring Award from Vanderbilt’s Department of Biological Sciences.

In 2025, Dr. Patel joined Van Andel Institute’s Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming as an associate professor. He continues to expand his research, with an emphasis on how mitochondrial genetics and metabolism influence development and physiology.

For a full list of Dr. Patel’s publications, please visit PubMed.

2025

Thapa BV, Das M, Held JP, Patel MR. Pre-print. Loss of an uncharacterized mitochondrial methionine tRNA-synthetase induces mitochondrial unfolded protein response in Caenorhabditis elegans. BioRxiv.

Boon JT, Grubbs B, Patel MR, Dunavan J, Knickerbocker KJ, Maxwell CA. 2025. Mitochondrial fitness science communication: A qualitative study. J Am Geriatrics Soc.

2024

Jozwik KM, Held JP, Hecht CA, Patel MR. 2024. A viable hypomorphic mutation in the mitochondrial ribosome subunit, MRPS-31, exhibits mitochondrial dysfunction in C. elegans. Micro Publ Biol.

Gitschlag BL, Pereira CV, Held JP, Patel MR. 2024. Multiple distinct evolutionary mechanisms govern the dynamics of selfish mitochondrial genomes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nat Commun 15(1):8237.

Maxwell CA, Grubbs B, Dietrich MS, Boon JT, Dunavan J, Knickerbocker KJ, Patel MR. 2024. Mitochondrial fitness science communication for aging adults: Prospective formative pilot study. JMIR Form Res.

Held JP, Patel MR. 2024. RNA: De-silencing to the rescue. Curr Biol 34(12):R573–R575.

Held JP, Dbouk NH, Strozak AM, Grub LK, Ryou H, Schaffner SH, Patel MR. 2024. Germline status and micronutrient availability regulate somatic mitochondrial quality control pathway via short-chain fatty acid metabolism. BioRxiv.

2023

Grub LK*, Held JP*, Hansen TJ, Schaffner SH, Canter MR^, Malagise EM, Patel MR. Pre-print. A role for N6-methyldeoxyadenosine in C. elegans mitochondrial genome regulation. BioRxiv.
*Equal contributors. ^Undergraduate author.

Tsyba N, Feng G, Grub LK, Held JP, Strozak AM, Burkewitz K, Patel MR. 2023. Tissue-specific heteroplasmy segregation is accompanied by a sharp mtDNA decline in Caernorhabditis elegans soma. iScience 26(4):106349.

2022

Grub LK, Tsyba N, Patel MR. 2022. Should I stay, or should I go? Gene retention in organellar genomes. Cell Syst 13:861–863.

Schwartz AZA, Tsyba N, Abdu Y, Patel MR, Nance J. 2022. Independent regulation of mitochondrial DNA quantity and quality in Caenorhabditis elegans primordial germ cells. eLife.

Maxwell CA, Roberts C, Oesmann K, Muhimpundu S, Archer KR, Patel MR, Mulubrhan MF, Muchira J, Boon J, LaNoue M. 2022. Health and wellness for disadvantaged older adults: The AFRESH pilot study. PEC Innov.

Schaffner SH, Patel MR. 2022. Plant organellar genomes utilize gene conversion to drive heteroplasmic sorting. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 119(37).

Held JP, Feng G, Saunders BR, Pereira CV, Burkewitz K, Patel MR. 2022. A tRNA processing enzyme is a key regulator of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. eLife.

2021

Pereira CV, Gitschlag BL, Patel MR. 2021. Cellular mechanisms of mtDNA heteroplasmy dynamics. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 56(5):510–525.

Kirby CS, Patel MR. 2021. Elevated mitochondrial DNA copy number found in ubiquinone-deficient clk-1 mutants is not rescued by ubiquinone precursor 2-4-dihydroxybenzoate. Mitochondrion.

2020

Gitschlag BL, Tate AT, Patel MR. 2020. Nutrient status shapes selfish mitochondrial genome dynamics across different levels of selection. eLife.

Held JP, Patel MR. 2020. Functional conservation of mitochondrial RNA levels despite divergent mtDNA organization. BMC Res Notes 13(1):334.

2019

Gitschlag BL, Patel MR. 2019. Mitochondria: A microcosm of darwinian competition. Curr Biol 29(24):R1316–R1318.

2017

Patel MR. 2017. Inheritance: Male mtDNA just can’t catch a break. Curr Biol 27(7):R259–R281.

2016

Gitschlag BL, Kirby CS, Samuels DC, Gangula RD, Mallal SA, Patel MR. 2016. Homeostatic responses regulate selfish mitochondrial genome dynamics in C. elegans. Cell Metab 24(1):91–103.

Patel MR, Miriyala GK, Littleton AJ, Yang H, Trinh K, Young JM, Kennedy, SR, Yamashita YM, Pallanck L, Malik HS. 2016. A mitochondrial DNA hypomorph of cytochrome oxidase specifically impairs male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster. eLife.

2015

Harris KG, Morosky SA, Drummond C, Patel MR, Kim C, Stolz DB, Bergelson JM, Cherry S, Coyne CB. 2015. RIP3 regulates autophagy and is required for Coxsackievirus B3 infection of polarized intestinal epithelial cells. Cell Host Microbe 18(2):221–232.

2013

Chia PH, Patel MR, Wagner OI, Klopfenstein DR, Shen K. 2013. Intramolecular regulation of presynaptic scaffold protein SYD-2/liprin-α. Mol Cell Neurosci 56:76–84.

2012

Patel MR, Loo YM, Horner SM, Gale M Jr, Malik HS. 2012. Convergent evolution of escape from hepaciviral antagonism in primates. PLoS Biol 10(3).

Chia PH, Patel MR, Shen K. 2012. NAB-1 instructs synapse assembly by linking adhesion molecules and F-actin to active zone proteins. Nat Neurosci 15(2):234–242.

2011

Patel MR, Emerman M, Malik HS. Paleovirology — ghosts and gifts of viruses past. Curr Opin Virol 1(4):304–9.

2009

Patel MR, Shen K. 2009. Neurite Extension: Starting at the finish line. Cell 137(2):207–209.

Patel MR, Shen K. 2009. RSY-1 is a local inhibitor of presynaptic assembly in C. elegans. Science 323(5920):1500–1503.

2006

Patel MR, Lehrman EK, Poon VY, Crump JG, Zhen M, Bargmann CI, Shen K. 2006. Hierarchical assembly of presynaptic components in defined C. elegans synapses. Nat Neurosci 9(12):1488–1498.

Margene Brewer, M.S.

Senior Administrative Assistant I, Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming