Daniel Lin

I am the John and Sue Taylor Professor (with tenure) of nutrition metabolism and the gut microbiome. I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies in China. After my 2-year STA Fellowship in Sapporo, Japan, I joined Kansas State University as a postdoc fellow in biochemistry and then a research faculty in molecular and biochemical nutrition. I started my tenure-track Assistant Professor position in 2013, Associate Professor with tenure in 2019, and Full Professor in 2022. I hold the John and Sue Taylor Professorship in Nutritional Sciences at Oklahoma State University (2022-2028). My current research is focused on vitamin A and carotenoids in mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, cellular oxidative stress and signaling, immune responses and inflammation, and the interplay of the host and gut microbiome in the development of intestinal colitis, obesity, and diabetes. I am also interested in exploring the role of the gut-lung axis in SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infection. Further, I am dedicated to effective teaching in human nutrition and metabolism to both undergraduate and graduate students. In adition to my academic roles, I serve as an Associate Editor for the journal Nutrition Research, Deputy Editor-in-chief for Metabolsim and Disease, and is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry and Food Science and Human Wellness, and was USDA NIFA science advisor. I have received a few awards for the excellence of research, teaching, and leadership, including the OSU Regents Distinguished Research Award (2021), OSU Distinguished Early Career Faculty Award (2020), OSU President's Fellows Faculty Research Award (2019), the College Marguerite Scruggs Award for Meritorious Early Career Research (2016), CEHS Leadership and Service Award (2026), and the OSU Stephan M. Wilson Leadership Development Award (2026).

Research Interests:

Carotenoids and vitamin A are essential nutrients for human health. In my laboratory, we are exploring how vitamin A and carotenoids regulate mitochondrial function, energy metabolism, cellular oxidative stress and signaling, immune responses and inflammation, and the interplay of the host and gut microbiome in the development of intestinal colitis, obesity, and diabetes in human participants and/or rodent models. I am also interested in exploring the role of the gut-lung axis in virus infection in mice. 

Key areas of interest: Acute and chronic inflammation; Diabetes; Food bioactive compounds; Gut microbiome; Influenza A virus infection and pneumonia; Intestinal colitis; Mitochondrial structure and function; Obesity; Signal transduction