10/15/2026
Metabolic diseases are complex, and there's no single explanation for why they develop, progress, or respond to treatment differently from one person to another.
At the URI College of Pharmacy, three faculty members are working to better understand those differences by bringing together molecular biology, pharmacology, computational modeling, and clinical research. That work spans several areas, but the goal is the same: better understand what is happening in the body so we can find better ways to prevent, treat, and manage disease.
Professor Ruitang Deng is studying how disruptions in bile acid signaling and cholesterol metabolism contribute to liver disease, cancer, and complications during pregnancy. His lab is investigating the molecular pathways involved and identifying potential targets for new therapies.
Associate Professor Nisanne Ghonem is focused on the pathways that regulate liver injury and chronic disease. Her research examines how bile acid detoxification and nuclear receptor signaling influence conditions such as cholestatic liver disease, with the goal of identifying new approaches to treatment and better understanding why treatments work differently across patients.
Assistant Professor Brahim Achour’s research uses pharmacokinetic modeling and clinical data to understand how metabolic disease can change the way medications behave in the body. This work could help inform safer dosing and more individualized treatment for patients with complex conditions.
This kind of interdisciplinary research is one part of how the URI College of Pharmacy is preparing for the future of healthcare, where understanding both the disease and the individual patient matters.
Read more about this research: web.uri.edu/pharmacy/2026/06/12/linking-metabolism-to-disease-treatment-and-outcomes/
