School of Medicine


Showing 21-30 of 53 Results

  • Sui Wang, PhD

    Sui Wang, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research focuses on unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying retinal development and diseases. We employ genetic and genomic tools to explore how various retinal cell types, including neurons, glia, and the vasculature, respond to developmental cues and disease insults at the epigenomic and transcriptional levels. In addition, we investigate their interactions and collective contributions to maintain retinal integrity.

    1. Investigating retinal development:
    We utilize genetic tools and methods such as in vivo plasmid electroporation and CRISPR to dissect the roles of cis-regulatory elements and transcription factors in controlling retinal development.

    2. Understanding diabetes-induced cell-type-specific responses in the retina:
    Diabetes triggers a range of multicellular responses in the retina, such as vascular lesions, glial dysfunction, and neurodegeneration, all of which contribute to retinopathy. We delve into the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying these diabetes-induced cell-type-specific responses and the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.

    3. Developing molecular tools for labeling and manipulation of specific cell types in vivo:
    Cis-regulatory elements, particularly enhancers, play pivotal roles in directing tissue- and cell-type-specific expression. Our interest lies in identifying enhancers that can drive cell type-specific expression in the retina and brain. We incorporate these enhancers into plasmid or AAV-based delivery systems, enabling precise labeling and manipulation of specific cell types in vivo.

  • Taia T. Wang, MD, PhD, MSCI

    Taia T. Wang, MD, PhD, MSCI

    Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and of Microbiology and Immunology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsLaboratory of Mechanisms in Human Immunity and Disease Pathogenesis

    Antibodies are a critical component of host defense. While the importance of humoral immunity has been recognized for decades, substantial gaps in knowledge remain around how antibodies function, and how their function is regulated, in vivo. Our laboratory performs studies designed to fill in these gaps, with the goal of enabling new vaccine and therapeutic strategies to prevent human disease. My interest in this area culminated from training in medicine, RNA virus biology (PhD), and molecular antibody biology (postdoctoral training). The intersection of these topics, viral immunity and disease pathogenesis, is the focus of our work. The essential question driving our research is why a small subset of people develop severe or fatal disease during viral infection while most infections result in a subclinical or mild outcome, even in at-risk populations. Our hypothesis is that the antibody signaling pathways that are engaged during viral infection through Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs) are a key driver of these distinct outcomes. We are focused on several major unknowns to address this hypothesis: How are antibody effector functions regulated in vivo and does this change in disease? How do distinct signaling pathways engaged by IgG immune complex-FcγR interactions impact host cell genetic regulation and the ultimate inflammatory/immune response? What are the tissue-specific functions that antibodies engage? How does the heterogeneity in post-translational modifications (PTMs) of human antibodies contribute to heterogeneity in viral immunity?



    Current clinical studies:
    Recruiting:

    An Open Label Study of IgG Fc Glycan Composition in Human Immunity
    Principal Investigator: Taia T. Wang, MD, PhD
    ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
    NCT01967238

  • Wenjun Wang

    Wenjun Wang

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Stem Cell Transplantation

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy postdoctoral research focuses on investigating novel therapy for childhood leukemias.

  • Xinnan Wang

    Xinnan Wang

    Associate Professor of Neurosurgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMechanisms underlying mitochondrial dynamics and function, and their implications in neurological disorders.

  • Victoria Ward

    Victoria Ward

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGlobal child health, digital health, preterm birth, human trafficking

  • Katja Gabriele Weinacht, MD, PhD

    Katja Gabriele Weinacht, MD, PhD

    Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsPediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
    DiGeorge Syndrome
    Genetic Immune Diseases
    Immune Dysregulation

  • Alexis Thomas Weiner

    Alexis Thomas Weiner

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Pathology

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway polarizes animal cells along an axis parallel to the tissue plane, and in so doing generates long-range organization that can span entire tissues. Although its core proteins and much about their interactions are known, how PCP signaling occurs at a mechanistic level remains fundamentally mysterious. In my current project I will employ novel genetic methods to dissect the logic underlying how cellular asymmetry arises at a molecular level.

  • Dana Weintraub

    Dana Weintraub

    Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics - General Pediatrics

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch interests include: 1) Childhood obesity, community-based interventions to increase physical activity 2) Impact of medical-legal collaboration on child and family health.