Led by Jayleen Grams, M.D., Ph.D., this program focuses on glucose and skeletal metabolism through the study of osteocalcin, a bone-derived protein, using an osteocalcin knockout animal model developed here at UAB. Additionally, current efforts are directed toward using an animal model of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass to investigate the impact of bariatric surgery on skeletal biology and health as well as on the central nervous system and microbiome.