Education
Ph.D., Molecular and Biochemical Nutrition, University of California, Berkeley
B.S., Nutrition Science, The Pennsylvania State University
Bio
Michael Griffin, Ph.D., is an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine at Marian University. In this role, he teaches foundational and clinical biochemistry to medical students while mentoring trainees in research exploring the molecular mechanisms that link metabolic regulation and inflammation. His academic focus integrates biochemical education with basic research on adipocyte biology and metabolic health. Research-wise, Dr. Griffin has long described himself as a “fat cell biologist”—a tongue-in-cheek reference to his fascination with adipocytes, not his own body composition.
Before joining Marian University, Dr. Griffin served as a founding faculty member at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Conroe, Texas, where he taught biochemistry and conducted independent research for several years. He earned his B.S. in Nutrition Science from Pennsylvania State University in 1998 and his Ph.D. in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley in 2006. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training in adipocyte biology in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Griffin’s research has been supported by two National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards: a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award during his postdoctoral work (2008) and an NIH R15/AREA grant as faculty at Sam Houston State University (2019). Both projects examined how transcriptional regulation drives inflammation in adipose tissue, a line of inquiry he continues to pursue.
Committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service, Dr. Griffin strives to embody the “triple-threat” model of academic scholarship. His overarching goal is not only to help students master biochemical principles for success on board examinations, but also to inspire them to become analytically minded, compassionate, and innovative physicians
Courses Taught
Areas of Teaching Expertise
Dr. Griffin’s primary areas of expertise include nutritional biochemistry and metabolic regulation, though his teaching portfolio encompasses many adjacent domains within molecular and cellular biology.
Teaching Philosophy
Dr. Griffin grounds his teaching philosophy in the “five C’s”: Critical Thinking, Creative Problem-Solving, Commitment, Collaboration, and Cause-and-Effect. These principles underpin his “WITS?” (Why Is This So?) approach—encouraging students to seek mechanistic explanations for biochemical and molecular processes rather than memorizing facts.
Whether lecturing or guiding Interactive Learning Activities, he strives to cultivate analytical, integrative, and clinically attuned reasoning that prepares students to think like physicians and scientists.
Research Interests
Dr. Griffin’s legacy bench research investigates how chronic caloric excess alters adipose-tissue biology, focusing on the transcription factor Early B-cell Factor 1 (EBF1) and its role in driving inflammatory signaling in adipocytes—processes central to obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Students working in his laboratory gain hands-on experience in molecular cloning and recombinant-DNA techniques, PCR, protein purification and immunoblotting, and mammalian cell culture.
Dr. Griffin also conducts educational research at Marian University, where he is currently debuting and prototyping “Metabolic Map Puzzles” to help medical students master metabolic regulation. This work emphasizes active learning and systems thinking, guiding learners away from rote memorization and toward an integrated understanding of pathway connectivity and regulatory logic across the Scientific Foundations of Medicine and GEM courses.
Selected Publications
Griffin, M.J. 2022. On the Immunometabolic Role of NF-kappaB in Adipocytes. Immunometabolism 4(1).
Griffin, M. J. 2021. Nipping Adipocyte Inflammation in the Bud. Immunometabolism 3(2).
Griffin, M.J, Zhou, Y., Kang, S., Mikkelsen, T., and Rosen, E.D. 2013. Early B-Cell Factor-1 (EBF1) is a key regulator of metabolic and inflammatory signaling pathways in mature adipocytes. J. Biol. Chem. 288: 35925-35939.
Current Projects or Grants
Professional Service and Affiliations
Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine Admissions Committee
Personal Info
Dr. Griffin is an avid recreational bodybuilder (self-described “gym rat”), enjoys “movies for guys who like movies,” and is a card-carrying extreme thermophobe—making his years in Arizona and Texas during the early part of his faculty career a real joy.
