Research Associate Professor
University of Washington
Seattle, WA, United States
Dr. Dorfman is a Research Associate Professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition at the University of Washington in Seattle. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry (2001) and Ph.D. in Pharmacology (2008) from the University of Chile. His doctoral work in Dr. Hernán Lara’s laboratory focused on the role of ovarian sympathetic nerve activity in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome. He continued to investigate ovarian pathophysiology as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Sergio Ojeda’s laboratory at the Oregon National Primate Research Center/Oregon Health & Science University. In 2012, motivated by his growing interest in obesity and diabetes, Dr. Dorfman joined the University of Washington as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Drs. Michael W. Schwartz and Joshua P. Thaler, where he gained extensive expertise in metabolism and energy balance, including the design, execution, and analysis of experiments with metabolic endpoints. Since establishing his independent laboratory, Dr. Dorfman has built a research program that integrates reproductive biology, metabolism, and neuroscience to investigate central mechanisms by which sex steroids promote metabolic health. Dr. Dorfman’s research focuses on the role of hypothalamic cells (neurons, astrocytes, and microglia) in regulating energy balance, glucose, and lipid metabolism, with particular emphasis on sex differences and the influence of sex hormones. His current studies aim to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which sex steroids protect against obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets for cardiometabolic disease.
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SY59-01 - Microglial Inflammation and Its Impact on the HPG Axis
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM CT