School of Medicine
Showing 1-9 of 9 Results
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Yunkyeong Lee
Postdoctoral Scholar, Endocrinology and Metabolism
BioYun is a postdoctoral research scholar in Dr Anna Gloyn lab (Translational Genomics of Diabetes Lab). Since she joined the lab in August 2022, she has been involved in projects investigating type 2 diabetes (T2D) susceptible genes and their molecular mechanisms for pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction under the mentorship of Dr Gloyn. In particular, she is focusing on how T2D effector transcripts alter the autophagy/mitophagy pathways in human pancreatic beta-cells and how this may lead to beta-cell failure, mitochondrial dysfunction and T2D pathology. She has been also digging into genetic mutations which are a cause of neonatal diabetes using CRISPR genome editing technique in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line.
During her PhD, she focused on the roles of an epigenetic regulator and its molecular machineries in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/now metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Besides, she studied the correlation between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated unfolded protein response (UPR) signalling and autophagy, and further their effects on various cells using some plant extracts. Her research goal is to expand our knowledge about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of T2D and explore therapeutic targets and/or strategies. -
Seth Andrew Sharp
Postdoctoral Scholar, Endocrinology and Metabolism
BioSeth is a Larry L. Hillblom Postdoctoral Fellow in the Translational Genomics of Diabetes laboratory under Dr. Anna Gloyn with co-mentorship in statistical and population genetics from Dr. Manuel Rivas. Seth completed a B.E. in Applied Mathematics before studying a PhD at the University of Exeter with Drs. Richard Oram and Michael Weedon in which he spent significant time at the Pacific Northwest Research Institute developing new statistical models for polygenic risk scores to predict, screen and understand Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune disorders with screening expert Dr. William Hagopian. Seth was further seconded to the Alan Turing Institute in London where he used deep learning methods to develop neonatal blood spot polygenic risk screening panels. His postdoctoral studies at Stanford now focus on applying "GWAS-in-a-Dish' and "Polygenic Risk Score to Function (PRS2F)' approaches with rich cellular phenotyping from human donor islets to understand the molecular determinants of impaired insulin secretion in diabetes. He is involved in a number of national human islet research networks and gene-perturbation screen efforts aimed at better understanding diabetes, as well as clinical translation studies at Stanford aimed at improving precision medicine approaches to diabetes.
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Lu Zhang
Postdoctoral Scholar, Endocrinology and Metabolism
BioLu is a postdoctoral research scholar in Dr. Anna Gloyn's Translational Genomics of Diabetes Lab. During her master's and doctoral studies, she focused on epigenomics and single-cell multi-omics analysis, with an emphasis on 3D genomics. Her research included developing Hi-Tag, a chromatin conformation capture technique designed for use with small cell samples. This method provides valuable insights into the organization of chromatin in the cell. She has built strong expertise in combining different types of biological data, including RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, chromatin interaction data, and single-cell data. She has contributed to several research projects as a co-author, including studies that used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and GTEX data to connect multi-omics data with functional genomics. These experiences have helped her gain a deep understanding of how to integrate different types of genomic data to solve complex biological problems. Currently, Lu is focused on applying her research skills to diabetes.
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Yanxian Zhang
Postdoctoral Scholar, Endocrinology and Metabolism
BioThrough my academic training and research experience, I have cultivated a strong foundation in engineering and molecular biology. My work involves integrating diverse concepts from disciplines such as chemical engineering, protein engineering, supramolecular chemistry, and biophysics to address complex biomedical challenges. As a graduate student with Dr. Jie Zheng, my research focused on both natural and synthetic macromolecules. My research involved utilizing polymer chemistry to design biocompatible multifunctional hydrogels, as well as investigating the thermodynamics of amyloid proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Leveraging my expertise in thermodynamics and supramolecular chemistry, I contributed to the study of understanding protein misfolding and aggregation. I identified sequence-independent inhibitors to prevent protein misfolding and developed a rational strategy for inhibitor design, enabling cross-interaction activity and the fluorescent detection of amyloids. Driven by a strong interest in translational research, I pursued postdoctoral training here at Stanford School of Medicine. In Dr. Danny Hung-Chieh Chou's lab at Stanford University, I received comprehensive training in peptide engineering and molecular biology. I am dedicated to addressing formulation challenges for insulin with stable ultra-concentrated and ultra-fast properties, aimed at miniaturizing insulin pumps and advancing the next-generation of insulin automatic delivery systems. This work is supported by the JDRF postdoctoral fellowship. Furthermore, I am working on therapeutics development and have successfully developed an insulin derivative that acts as a full insulin receptor antagonist. This development holds promise as a candidate for treating the rare disease of hyperinsulinism. Throughout my postdoctoral training, I have gained proficiency in grant writing, public speaking, and mentoring students. These experiences have significantly strengthened my skills as an independent investigator. Looking forward, my research goal is to develop innovative strategies that support the functionality and delivery of biological therapies.
