Justin Hierholzer, BSc

Justin Hierholzer is a Doctor of Pharmacy candidate at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and an honors researcher in Dr. Mahmoud Ahmed’s laboratory. His research focuses on incretin-based therapies and their effects on adipose tissue and metabolic health. He works with mouse and human adipocyte models to study responses to semaglutide and tirzepatide, using Oil Red O staining and image analysis to measure changes in lipid accumulation. Justin draws on his pharmacy training and clinical experience to help shape the lab’s research questions. He considers how treatment limitations, medication effects, and patient needs can inform experiments in metabolic disease and the evaluation of emerging therapies. He coauthored a review on lean muscle loss associated with GLP-1–based therapies and strategies to address it. Justin earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University, where he conducted research on cellular metal metabolism.