The Saba Lab studies sphingolipids—a unique and ubiquitous class of lipids found in all cells of the body and most of the foods we eat. We are exploring the many ways in which sphingolipids contribute to cell function, human health, and disease, with a particular interest in the role of bioactive sphingolipid metabolites in signaling pathways involved in cancer, rare disease, and tissue fibrosis. Rare diseases of sphingolipid metabolism have revealed that tight control over sphingolipid metabolism is important for maintaining the healthy functioning of kidneys, endocrine glands, skin, and nervous and immune systems. In contrast, dysregulation of sphingolipid metabolism and aberrant sphingolipid signaling damages tissues and leads to inflammation, fibrosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Based on this knowledge, we are developing viral mediated gene therapies and other therapeutic strategies to modulate sphingolipid metabolism for the treatment of rare and common medical conditions in which sphingolipids cause or play a key role in disease pathogenesis. Using targeted mass spectrometry, we routinely measure sphingolipids in biological samples for preclinical research purposes and as clinical disease biomarkers.Â