PDoc, Immunology Fellowship, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 2020
PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 2016
BS, Biology, University of Kentucky, 2011
Interdisciplinary and Emerging Signature Programs
Allergy, Immunology & Infectious Disease
Biomedical Engineering & Nanomedicine
Cancer Biology
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Neurodegenerative Disease
Neuroscience
Research Interests
Our laboratory is interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms, as well as physiological influences that govern neuroimmunity. We strive to further our understanding of how our brains are protected against, and how to therapeutically target neurodegenerative diseases, infections, cancer, and beyond.
Awards/Honors
International Fellow (Royal Society of Medicine - 2021)
Sigma Xi Research Honor Society (Sigma Xi - 2020)
Science Prize for Neurobiology (Nominated) (American Association for the Advancement of Science - 2020)
Young Investigator Award (European Cell Death Organization - 2019)
Early Career Research Award (American Association of Immunologists - 2019)
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (National Institutes of Health - 2018)
Pediatric LRP Award in neuro-oncology (National Cancer Institute - 2018)
John H. Sununu Endowed Fellowship (Sununu Foundation - 2017)
Excellence in Science Award (American Association for the Advancement of Science - 2015)
Distinguished Research Scholarship (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education & Research - 2012)
G. Flora Ribble Award in Life Science Research (University of Kentucky - 2010)
Recent Publications
Rickman AD, Hilyard A, Heckmann BL. Dying by fire: noncanonical functions of autophagy proteins in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.Neural regeneration research. 17(2) : 246-250, 2022.
Heckmann BL, Teubner BJW, Tummers B, Boada-Romero E, Harris L, Yang M, Guy CS, Zakharenko SS, Green DR. LC3-Associated Endocytosis Facilitates β-Amyloid Clearance and Mitigates Neurodegeneration in Murine Alzheimer''s Disease.Cell. 183(6) : 1733-1734, 2020.
Boada-Romero E, Martinez J, Heckmann BL, Green DR. The clearance of dead cells by efferocytosis.Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology. 21(7) : 398-414, 2020.
Heckmann BL, Teubner BJW, Boada-Romero E, Tummers B, Guy C, Fitzgerald P, Mayer U, Carding S, Zakharenko SS, Wileman T, Green DR. Noncanonical function of an autophagy protein prevents spontaneous Alzheimer''s disease.Science advances. 6(33) : eabb9036, 2020.
Tummers B, Mari L, Guy CS, Heckmann BL, Rodriguez DA, Rühl S, Moretti J, Crawford JC, Fitzgerald P, Kanneganti TD, Janke LJ, Pelletier S, Blander JM, Green DR. Caspase-8-Dependent Inflammatory Responses Are Controlled by Its Adaptor, FADD, and Necroptosis.Immunity. 52(6) : 994-1006.e8, 2020.
Zhang X, Xie X, Heckmann BL, Saarinen AM, Gu H, Zechner R, Liu J. Identification of an intrinsic lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase activity in the lipolytic inhibitor G/G switch gene 2 (G0S2).FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 33(5) : 6655-6666, 2019.
Heckmann BL, Green DR. Correction: LC3-associated phagocytosis at a glance (doi:10.1242/jcs.222984).Journal of cell science. 132(5) , 2019.
Gong YN, Crawford JC, Heckmann BL, Green DR. To the edge of cell death and back.The FEBS journal. 286(3) : 430-440, 2019.
Wang L, Heckmann BL, Yang X, Long H. Osteoblast autophagy in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.Journal of cellular physiology. 234(4) : 3207-3215, 2019.
Heckmann BL, Tummers B, Green DR. Crashing the computer: apoptosis vs. necroptosis in neuroinflammation.Cell death and differentiation. 26(1) : 41-52, 2019.
Heckmann BL, Green DR. LC3-associated phagocytosis at a glance.Journal of cell science. 132(5) , 2019.
Heckmann BL, Teubner BJW, Tummers B, Boada-Romero E, Harris L, Yang M, Guy CS, Zakharenko SS, Green DR. LC3-Associated Endocytosis Facilitates β-Amyloid Clearance and Mitigates Neurodegeneration in Murine Alzheimer''s Disease.Cell. 178(3) : 536-551.e14, 2019.
Zhang X, Heckmann BL, Campbell LE, Liu J. G0S2: A small giant controller of lipolysis and adipose-liver fatty acid flux.Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids. 1862(10 Pt B) : 1146-1154, 2017.
Heckmann BL, Boada-Romero E, Cunha LD, Magne J, Green DR. LC3-Associated Phagocytosis and Inflammation.Journal of molecular biology. 429(23) : 3561-3576, 2017.
Heckmann BL, Zhang X, Saarinen AM, Schoiswohl G, Kershaw EE, Zechner R, Liu J. Liver X receptor mediates hepatic triglyceride accumulation through upregulation of G0/G1 Switch Gene 2 expression.JCI insight. 2(4) : e88735, 2017.
Heckmann BL, Zhang X, Saarinen AM, Liu J. Regulation of G0/G1 Switch Gene 2 (G0S2) Protein Ubiquitination and Stability by Triglyceride Accumulation and ATGL Interaction.PloS one. 11(6) : e0156742, 2016.
Zhang X, Heckmann BL, Xie X, Saarinen AM, Liu J. Regulation of FSP27 protein stability by AMPK and HSC70.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism. 307(11) : E1047-56, 2014.
Xie X, Langlais P, Zhang X, Heckmann BL, Saarinen AM, Mandarino LJ, Liu J. Identification of a novel phosphorylation site in adipose triglyceride lipase as a regulator of lipid droplet localization.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism. 306(12) : E1449-59, 2014.
Heckmann BL, Zhang X, Xie X, Saarinen A, Lu X, Yang X, Liu J. Defective adipose lipolysis and altered global energy metabolism in mice with adipose overexpression of the lipolytic inhibitor G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2).The Journal of biological chemistry. 289(4) : 1905-16, 2014.
Zhang X, Xie X, Heckmann BL, Saarinen AM, Czyzyk TA, Liu J. Targeted disruption of G0/G1 switch gene 2 enhances adipose lipolysis, alters hepatic energy balance, and alleviates high-fat diet-induced liver steatosis.Diabetes. 63(3) : 934-46, 2014.
Heckmann BL, Yang X, Zhang X, Liu J. The autophagic inhibitor 3-methyladenine potently stimulates PKA-dependent lipolysis in adipocytes.British journal of pharmacology. 168(1) : 163-71, 2013.
Heckmann BL, Zhang X, Xie X, Liu J. The G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2): regulating metabolism and beyond.Biochimica et biophysica acta. 1831(2) : 276-81, 2013.
Yang X, Heckmann BL, Zhang X, Smas CM, Liu J. Distinct mechanisms regulate ATGL-mediated adipocyte lipolysis by lipid droplet coat proteins.Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.). 27(1) : 116-26, 2013.
Zhang X, Heckmann BL, Liu J. Studying lipolysis in adipocytes by combining siRNA knockdown and adenovirus-mediated overexpression approaches.Methods in cell biology. 116: 83-105, 2013.
Langlais P, Dillon JL, Mengos A, Baluch DP, Ardebili R, Miranda DN, Xie X, Heckmann BL, Liu J, Mandarino LJ. Identification of a role for CLASP2 in insulin action.The Journal of biological chemistry. 287(46) : 39245-53, 2012.
Yang X, Zhang X, Heckmann BL, Lu X, Liu J. Relative contribution of adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced lipolysis in adipocytes.The Journal of biological chemistry. 286(47) : 40477-85, 2011.
Positions Held
Postdoctoral Fellow (Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 2016 - 2020)
Research Associate (Metabolic Biology, Mayo Clinic 2011 - 2016)
