Department of Surgery
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Specialties

David Harris, MD

Assistant Professor

daharris6@wisc.edu
(608) 263-1036

WIMR 5131
1111 Highland Avenue

Education

  • MD, University of Virginia
  • Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School, General Surgery
  • Fellowship, Brigham and Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Advanced GI & Bariatric Surgery

Honors

Vilas Faculty Early-Career Investigator Award

Research Interests

Dr. Harris’ Lab, the Wisconsin Surgical Laboratory in Metabolism (WiSLiM), studies the mechanistic intersection between metabolic therapies, host metabolism, organ function, and aging.

Dr. Harris received a one-year pilot grant from Washington University’s Diabetes Research Center to explore potential treatments for Type 2 diabetes. Read more here.

Dr. Harris received a one-year, 30,000 pilot award from the Center for Biomedical Swine Research & Innovation. Read more here.

Dr. Harris received pilot award funding from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Read more here.

Dr. Harris was recently awarded a two-year, $311,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging. Read more here.

Dr. Harris received a two-year, $80,000 Research Education Component Scholar award from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Read more here.

Dr. Harris received a one-year, $67,000 Fall Research Competition award from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Read more here.

Dr. Harris received a two-year, $150,000 New Investigator Program award from the Wisconsin Partnership Program. Read more here.

Recent Publications

  • Atlas of one-carbon metabolism in conventional and germ-free mice reveals folate as a key determinant of biochemical pathways.
    Williams J, Kim WS, Danner R, Cho J, Silva BF, Harris DA, Rey FE, Chaudhari SN
    Nat Metab 2026 Mar 26;
    [PubMed ID: 41888596]

  • Restriction of Individual Branched-Chain Amino Acids has Distinct Effects on the Development and Progression of Alzheimer's Disease in 3xTg Mice.
    Babygirija R, Green CL, Sonsalla MM, Le IMF, Xiao F, Yandell S, Calubag MF, Trautman ME, Tobon A, Matoska R, Yeh CY, Opara CI, Grunow I, Vertein D, Schlorf S, Knopf BA, Rigby MJ, Harris DA, Keller MP, Attie AD, Puglielli L, Jang C, Lamming DW
    Adv Sci (Weinh) 2026 Mar 12; e15220
    [PubMed ID: 41817439]

  • A low-protein diet drives short- and long-term improvements in metabolic health in a mouse model of sleeve gastrectomy.
    Illiano J, Green CL, Chao A, Zhu G, Lopez L, Schaepkens O, Jang C, Lamming DW, Harris DA
    Cell Rep Med 2025 Dec 16; 6(12): 102471
    [PubMed ID: 41330377]

  • Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Elevation in the Central Nervous System Is Associated With Failure to Thrive in Alexander Disease.
    Hagemann TL, Sonsalla MM, Luzinski C, Zacahua F, Harris DA, Lamming DW, Messing A
    Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2026 Jan; 13(1): 144-156
    [PubMed ID: 41024483]

  • The GLP-1 Era-What Comes After Bariatric Surgery?
    Lauer KV, Harris DA, Funk LM
    JAMA Surg 2025 Oct 01; 160(10): 1066-1067
    [PubMed ID: 40864450]

All Publications on PubMed