Henry Pownall Download Headshot

Henry J. Pownall, PhD

  • Medical biochemist, Houston Methodist Research Institute
  • Professor of Biochemistry in Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute
  • Atherosclerosis & lipoprotein research director at Houston Methodist Research Institute
  • Professor of Bioenergetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute
Media Contact: Lisa Merkl , 832.667.5916

Henry J. Pownall, PhD

Request Interview
Media Contact: Lisa Merkl , 832.667.5916

Areas of Expertise

  • Atherogenesis
  • Cardiovascular sciences
  • Cholesterol transport
  • Energy metabolism / human lipid metabolism
  • Fluorescence
  • HDL structure, properties and function
  • High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) therapeutics
  • Molecular ethics
  • Obesity-linked diabetes
  • Physical chemistry

Credentials

Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Houston
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Baylor College of Medicine
PhD, Northeastern University
MS, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Publications

Associations between decreases in adiposity and reductions in HbA1c and insulin use in the Look AHEAD cohort
Palmer, R, Neiberg, RH, Beavers, KM, Kahn, SE, Houston, DK, Wagenknecht, L, Johnson, KC, Pownall, HJ, Espeland, MA & For the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) Aging Study Group 2025, , Obesity. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.24242

HDL-free cholesterol influx into macrophages and transfer to LDL correlate with HDL-free cholesterol content
Yelamanchili, D, Gillard, BK, Gotto, AM, Achirica, MC, Nasir, K, Remaley, AT, Rosales, C & Pownall, HJ 2025, , Journal of lipid research, vol. 66, no. 1, 100707, pp. 100707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100707, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100707

Long-term sustained effects of the Look AHEAD lifestyle intervention on body composition among adults with type 2 diabetes
Ashby-Thompson, M, Heshka, S, Anderson, A, Pownall, H, Laferrère, B, Balasubramanyam, A, Heymsfield, SB, Wadden, TA & Gallagher, D 2024, , Obesity, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 1093-1101. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.24025

The pathophysiology of excess plasma-free cholesterol
Gillard, BK, Rosales, C, Gotto, AM & Pownall, HJ 2023, , Current opinion in lipidology, vol. 34, no. 6, PMID: 37732779, pp. 278-286. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0000000000000899, https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0000000000000899

The pathophysiology of excess plasma-free cholesterol
Gillard, BK, Rosales, C, Gotto, AM & Pownall, HJ 2023, , Current opinion in lipidology, vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 278-286. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0000000000000899

Serum Opacity Factor Normalizes Erythrocyte Morphology in Scarb1-/- Mice in an HDL-Free Cholesterol-Dependent Way.
Wang, Z, Yelamanchili, D, Liu, J, Gotto, AM, Rosales, C, Gillard, BK & Pownall, HJ 2023, , Journal of lipid research, vol. 64, no. 11, 100456, pp. 100456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlr.2023.100456, https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JLR.2023.100456

An ERK5-NRF2 Axis Mediates Senescence-Associated Stemness and Atherosclerosis
Abe, J-I, Imanishi, M, Li, S, Zhang, A, Ko, KA, Samanthapudi, VSK, Lee, L-L, Bojorges, AP, Gi, YJ, Hobbs, BP, Deswal, A, Herrmann, J, Lin, SH, Chini, EN, Shen, YH, Schadler, KL, Nguyen, T-H-M, Gupte, AA, Reyes-Gibby, C, Yeung, S-CJ, Abe, RJ, Olmsted-Davis, EA, Krishnan, S, Dantzer, R, Palaskas, NL, Cooke, JP, Pownall, HJ, Yoshimoto, M, Fujiwara, K, Hamilton, DJ, Burks, JK, Wang, G, Le, N-T & Kotla, S 2023, , Circulation Research, vol. 133, no. 1, pp. 25-44. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.122.322017

Normalization of Erythrocyte Morphology in Scarb1-/- Mice by Bacterial Serum Opacity Factor is HDL-Free Cholesterol Dependent
Rosales, C, Wang, Z, Yelamanchili, D, Gotto, A, Gillard, BK & Pownall, HJ 2023, , ASBMB Deuel Conference on Lipids, Dana Point, CA, 3/7/23 - 3/10/23.

Serum opacity factor rescues fertility among female Scarb1-/- mice by reducing HDL-free cholesterol bioavailability
Rosales, C, Yelamanchili, D, Gillard, BK, Liu, J, Gotto, AM & Pownall, HJ 2023, , Journal of lipid research, vol. 64, no. 2, 100327, pp. 100327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlr.2022.100327

The pathophysiology of excess plasma-free cholesterol.
Gillard, BK, Rosales, C, Gotto, A & Pownall, HJ 2023, , Current opinion in lipidology, vol. 34, PMID: 37732779, pp. 278-286.

Serum Opacity Factor Normalizes Erythrocyte Morphology in Scarb1-/- Mice in an HDL-Free Cholesterol-Dependent Way.
Wang, Z, Yelamanchili, D, Liu, J, Gotto, A, Rosales, C, Gillard, BK & Pownall, HJ 2023, , Journal of lipid research.

Serum opacity factor normalizes erythrocyte morphology in Scarb1-/- mice in an HDL-free cholesterol-dependent way
Wang, Z, Yelamanchili, D, Liu, J, Gotto, AM, Rosales, C, Gillard, BK & Pownall, HJ 2023, , Journal of lipid research, vol. 64, no. 11, 100456. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JLR.2023.100456

Serum Opacity Factor Rescues Fertility among Female Scarb1-/- Mice by Reducing HDL-Free Cholesterol Bioavailability
Rosales, C, Yelamanchili, D, Gillard, BK, Liu, J, Gotto, A & Pownall, HJ 2022, , Journal of lipid research, vol. 64, no. 2, PMID: 36596339.

The Role of Apolipoprotein A1 in Cholesterol Transport
Brenner, D, Chandra, M, Abe, R, Yelamanchili, D, Gillard, BK, Rosales, C & Pownall, HJ 2022, , 5th Annual Summer Science Symposium, Houston, United States, 8/4/22 - 8/5/22.

Poloxamer 407 Induces Hypertriglyceridemia but Decreases Atherosclerosis in Ldlr-/- Mice
Peng, X, Lian, Z, Perrard, XYD, Xiao, Y, Ni, J, O’brien, V, Dong, H, Pownall, HJ, Ballantyne, CM & Wu, H 2022, , Cells, vol. 11, no. 11, 1795. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11111795

Poloxamer 407 Induces Hypertriglyceridemia but Decreases Atherosclerosis in Ldlr -/- Mice.
Peng, X, Lian, Z, Perrard, X-YD, Xiao, Y, Ni, J, OBrien, V, Dong, H, Pownall, HJ, Ballantyne, CM & Wu, H 2022, , Cells, vol. 11, no. 11, 1795. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11111795

Excess HDL Free Cholesterol Bioavailability Drives Free Cholesterol Accretion into Macrophages and Erythrocytes in SCRAB1-/- mice
Gillard, BK, Wang, Z, Liu, J, Yelamanchili, D, Gotto, A, Rosales, C & Pownall, HJ 2022, , AHA Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine 2022 Scientific Sessions, Seattle, United States, 5/12/22 - 5/14/22.

Serum Opacity Factor Normalizes Dysfunctionnal High Density Lipoproteins in SRBI-/- Female Mice and Rescues Fertility.
Yelamanchili, D, Gillard, BK, Pownall, HJ, Gotto, A & Rosales, C 2022, , AHA Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine 2022 Scientific Sessions, Seattle, United States, 5/12/22 - 5/14/22.

Weight Change During the Postintervention Follow-up of Look AHEAD
Look AHEAD Research Group 2022, , Diabetes care, vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 1306-1314. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-1990

Excess HDL Free Cholesterol Bioavailability Drives Free Cholesterol Accretion into Macrophages and Erythrocytes in SCRAB1-/- mice.
Gillard, BK, Wang, Z, Liu, J, Yelamanchili, D, Gotto, A, Rosales, C & Pownall, HJ 2022, , ASBMB Deuel Conference on Lipids, Monterey, United States, 3/1/22 - 3/4/22.

Languages

  • English