Body fat can seem elusive and confounding, but Dr. Philipp E. Scherer, the director of the Touchstone Center for Diabetes Research at UT Southwestern, aims to unravel its mysteries. His research -- especially in regard to fat's relationship with disease -- may lead to new ways of fighting diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. In this lecture, Dr. Scherer will discuss the many important roles that fat cells play to maintain our overall metabolic health and highlight some areas that are negatively affected when our fat cells no longer exert their proper functions.