Dr. Sara Nowinski is an Assistant Professor at the Van Andel Institute, where her lab studies how mitochondrial metabolism shapes cell behavior. Her research focuses on the mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis (mtFAS) pathway and how it coordinates energy production with cellular growth and differentiation. By combining biochemistry, genetics, and systems approaches, her work aims to uncover fundamental principles of mitochondrial function in health and disease. Dr. Nowinski received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Utah. Her work has been supported by the NIH, United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, and the American Cancer Society.