Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America June 2019 NEWSLETTER Volume 34 | Issue 2 Newsletter Editor: Jianming Xu, Ph.D. Production Editor: Chris Lau, Ph.D.
CONTENTS 2018 SCBA Washington DC-Baltimore Chapter Annual Christmas Symposium
By Chapter President Dr. Li Yang 1. 2018 SCBA Washington DC-Baltimore Chapter Annual Christmas Symposium P1 The 2018 SCBA DC-Baltimore Chapter Annual Christmas Symposium was held at the New Fortune Chinese Restaurant 2. The 33rd Annual Symposium of SCBA-Texas Chapter located in Gaithersburg, Maryland on Dec. 8th, 2018. Dr. Li Yang, P4 the chapter President, organized this event, with support from the chapter’s President-Elect Dr. Ji Luo and the Secretary Dr. Yufei 3. A List of Recent Reports and Articles Related to the Jiang, as well as many volunteers. Topics and Concerns of Chinese American Scientists P7 Dr. Ji Luo delivered the welcome remarks and introduced the sister societies including NIH CSSA (Chinese Student Scholar 4. Welcome new members P8 Association), CBA (Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association), as well as the NIH Taiwanese association. Dr. Li Yang gave the 2018 5. Call for 2019 SCBA Election P9 local chapter annual activity report. In her report, she outlined SCBA focused effort in 2018 which is to reach out and to 6. Seventeenth SCBA International Symposium P10 promote a culture of inclusiveness and engagement in SCBA community. She highlighted the local chapter leadership structure, 7. Joseph Li Travel Awards Announcement P11 SCBA Board of Presidents, SCBA Advisory Committee that consists of 2-3 faculty members from each local universities and 8. Information of Candidates for 2019 Election Appendix research institutes. Three addition social events were held to and 2019 Election Ballot facilitate the communication and collaboration among the leadership members, and to foster the further interaction between Bethesda and Baltimore areas members. Dr. Yang welcomed
collaboration from NIH Taiwanese association and thanked Drs. Chi-ping Day and Emily Tai for their effort. As a new outreach
effort, starting from this year (2018), the SCBA local chapter will invite new faculties in the DC-Baltimore area to attend the annual Christmas Symposium free of charge.
Dr. Yang emphasized the success of the annual Scientific Symposium sponsored by the SCBA DC Baltimore Chapter. The symposium brings local scientists together to promote scientific communication and collaborations, as well as to provide a networking platform for our local SCBA members. She announced the 2019 Scientific Symposium will be held on March 16, 2019 in University of Maryland at College Park. Dr. Li Yang also summarized the success of many of the local chapter’s scientific and social activities in 2018. These include the Kuan- Teh Jeang Memorial Lecture, the SCBA-NIH CSSA summer picnic, and a scientific session in CBA’s 2018 Annual Conference. Dr. Luo reported in place for Dr. Chunzhang Yang, the Treasurer- June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 1 Volume 34 | Issue 2 elect of the local chapter, the financial summary of SCBA local than the sum of its parts” by Aristotle to encourage SCBA chapter. There was a 24% fgrowth in chapter fund in 2018. Dr. community come together to achieve its goals.
For the event entertainment, Ziyi Liu played 古筝: 渔舟唱晚 和女儿情; Hong Sang Wang sang 意大利文歌《我亲爱的爸 爸》or《O Mio Babbino Caro 》and 哈萨克民歌《燕子》; and Hao Ling sang 乎伦贝儿大草原, where she is from!
The highlight of 2018 Christmas symposium is the outstanding talk “From follower to leader: navigating the American science” delivered by Dr. Edison Liu, president and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory. Dr. Liu is well known for his leadership roles and achievements. He was the Director of the Division of Clinical Science at the NCI in 1996, and Executive Director of the Genomic Institute of Singapore from 2001 to 2012. Thereafter he took on the CEO position at The Jackson Laboratory. In many of these leadership roles, Dr. Liu is responsible for building the 2018 Christmas event snap shot #1 institute infrastructure, overseeing budget, managing talent recruitment and directing scientific mission strategic plan. His Yang then high-lighted high impact publications and awards for success in the US and in Singapore, two very distinct culture our local chapter members. environments, is remarkable and is very inspiring to members of the SCBA. Dr. Liu’s presentation was insightful and well- received, and generated much interest and discussion. After the event, Dr. Liu met with the SCBA chapter senior members and gave advice on leadership opportunities and challenges.
2018 Christmas event snap shot #2 Dr. Yang Liu was elected as the President –Elect for SCBA Dr. Li Yang would like to thank the President-Elect Dr. Ji Luo, DC Baltimore Chapter, will serve in the year 2020 the Secretary Dr. Yufei Jiang, and the Treasurer Dr. Chunzhang Yang for their service and support. Dr. Yang thanks the local chapter board of Presidents and Advisory Committee for their collaboration as well as leadership. Dr. Yang is grateful to Dr. Dr. Yang Liu was elected as the President –Elect for the SCBA Mitchel Ho for organizing the successful annual scientific DC Baltimore Chapter, who will serve in the year 2020. Dr. Yang symposium, and Dr. Ying Zhang for maintaining local chapter Liu is the Director, Division of Immunotherapy, and Professor of web site. Dr. Yang’s great appreciation also goes to Drs. Ziyi Liu Surgery, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland and Ling Hao (the past and current President of NIH-CSSA), Drs. School of Medicine. He has been showing the strong Dong Sheng and Frank Li (the past and current President of CBA), commitment to SCBA DC-Baltimore Chapter. Drs. Chi-ping Day and Emily Tai (the NIH Taiwanese Association), and Mr. Mike Jing (Founder and EVP, Cyberdata Dr. Li Yang received an award in recognition of her outstanding Inc.) for his generous financial support of our local chapter leadership and service to the Chapter. activities. Dr. Yang thanks the many special volunteers and photographers for their hard work throughout the event. A total of 85 scientists from local universities, NIH, FDA as well as CBA attended this year’s Christmas symposium. Dr. Li Yang finished her report quoting “The whole is greater Dr. Ji Luo, the chapter President -Elect delivered welcome
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 2 Volume 34 | Issue 2
remarks
The chapter President, Dr. Li Yang, gave the 2018 local chapter annual activity report.
Dr. Ji Luo provided 2018 financial summary.
Ziyi Liu 古筝: 渔舟唱晚和女儿情 Hong Sang Wang: 意大利文歌《我亲爱的爸爸》or《O Mio Babbino Caro 》 and 哈萨克民歌《燕子》 Hao Ling: 乎伦贝儿大草原
Dr. Edison Liu, president and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory, delivered a talk entitled “From follower to leader: navigating the American science”.
Acknowledgement: We thank Dr. Jack Zhu of NCI, NIH for providing all pictures used in this report. Dr. Ji Luo (left) presented an award to Dr. Li Yang, president of SCBA DC Baltimore Chapter, for her outstanding leadership and service.
2018 Christmas symposium group photo
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 3 Volume 34 | Issue 2 Feng (UH); “Dynamic roles of ghrelin signaling in immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming” by Dr. Yuxiang Sun (College Station, Texas A&M).
In the early afternoon, 35 trainees (students and postdoctoral The 33rd Annual Symposium of fellows of Chinese and non-Chinese ethnicity who are currently SCBA-Texas Chapter working in ethnic Chinese faculty laboratories) gave oral presentations in six concurrent sessions. Dr. Yi Li (Professor of Baylor College of Medicine) served as the chair of the trainees’ sessions. Judges for the trainees’ presentations included Drs. By Cynthia Ju, Yong Xu, Yi Li, Xiaodong Chen, Jiang Chang Qingchun Tong (UTHEALTH), Zhao Wang (BCM), Yong Zhou (UTHEALTH), Meng Wang (BCM), Na Li (BCM), Li Qin (BCM), Longhou Fang (TMHRI), Feng Yang (BCM), Yu Liu rd The SCBA Texas Chapter (SCBA-TX) hosted its 33 annual (UH), Binliang Fang (MDACC), Xinchun Pi (BCM), Nancy symposium in the Texas Medical Center of Houston, Texas, on Huang (IBT), Guangwei Du (UTHEALTH), Weihua Zhang May 18, 2019. It was a very successful annual event, completing (UH), Yejing Ge (MDACC), Wenliang Li (UTHEALTH), Jun another new page of the SCBA-TX chapter’s long history. The Wang (UTHEALTH), Weiyi Peng (UH). symposium was packed with exciting presentations and with an enthusiastic audience, representing the faculty members, The winners for the prestigious SCBA-TX trainee awards were: postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and staff members from Qilin Gu for the first-place award ($300), Hesong Liu and Zhao- all of the academic institutions at the Texas Medical Center, Zhe Hao for the second-place award ($200), Chinghui Chen, including Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), University of Yonghong Liu, Katherine Shatzer, Ji Yeon Noh, Ying Cui, Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), University of Sandie Shan, Jingkun Qu, Peng Tan for the third-place award Texas-Health Science Center at Houston (UTHEALTH), ($100). The winner for the Professor Alexander Yeu-Ming Wang University of Houston (UH), Texas A&M-University Institute of Memorial Scholarship ($500) is Shiyang Song. This is a highly Biosciences & Technology (IBT) at Houston, the Methodist prestigious and competitive award that was established in 1995 Hospital Research Institute (TMHRI). There were also by Professor Wang’s family to honor Professor Alexander Yeu- participants from other cities of Texas, including University of Ming Wang for his contributions and achievements to science, Texas-Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and Texas A&M- education, Chinese community, and SCBA in which Dr. Wang University at College Station. The keynote speaker was Dr. served as a founder. Duojia Pan, an internationally known pioneer in Hippo signaling in developmental biology and cancer.
This year’s symposium was held at the Alkek Auditorium of Baylor College of Medicine as a traditional all-day event from 8:30am to 5:30pm. It was one of the largest events in the symposium’s history in which over 150 scientists attended. This serves to remind us all just how important our work is.
The event’s theme was to celebrate scientific achievements by SCBA-TX members, as well as to forecast the future success. The symposium started in the morning with brief welcome remarks from the SCBA-TX President Dr. Yong Xu (Associate Professor of Baylor College of Medicine), followed by two plenary session including eight speakers from eight different SCBA-TX institutions. The speakers represented a nice combination of internationally renowned senior scientists and a number of young principle investigators recently recruited to the lone star State. The 20-minute lectures covered diverse topics: “Collaborations across disciplines” by Dr. Qiang Lu (MD Anderson Cancer Center); “Cracking the sugar code for life science and biomedicine” by Dr. Peng Wang (BCM); “Identifying and Drs. Yi Li (Judge-in-Chief), Cynthia Ju (Secretary of SCBA- targeting novel regulators of cancer metastasis” by Dr. TX), Yong Xu (President of SCBA-TX), and Jiang Chang Wenliang Li (UTHEALTH); “Fibroblast growth factor (Treasurer of SCBA-TX). signaling in the prostate and prostate cancers” by Dr. Fen Wang (IBT); “NG2 glia in pain” by Dr. Shao-Jun Tang (UTMB); “AIBP-mediated cholesterol efflux instructs HSPC fate” by Dr. Longhou Fang (TMHRI); “Regulation of estrogen receptor alpha by transcriptional elongation” by Dr. Qin
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 4 Volume 34 | Issue 2
The finale of this symposium was the Professor Ying-Lai session, indicating an impressive increase of our members over Wang Memorial keynote lecture given by Dr. Duojia Pan. The the previous year. An election was also held during the life-time research achievements of Dr. Wang and the history of symposium to establish a new leadership team, which includes the Ying-Lai Wang Memorial Lectureship was addressed by President Dr. Michael Zhu (UTHEALTH), President-Elect Dr. Dr. Xiaodong Cheng, the 2018 President of SCBA-TX. Dr. Pan Yang Xia (UTHEALTH), Secretary Dr. Jin Wang (BCM) and was introduced by Dr. Jinsong Liu (MDACC). Dr. Duojia Pan Treasurer Dr. Nancy Huang (IBT). is an internationally renowned scientist and an HHMI investigator from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Organizing committee of the 2019 SCBA-TX symposium Center. His research team has made seminal contributions to included President Dr. Yong Xu (BCM), Dr. Yi Li (BCM), Dr. the understanding of Hippo signaling. He is considered one of Xiaodong Cheng (UTHEALTH), Secretary Dr. Cynthia Ju the pioneers in the understanding of the intricate molecular (UTHEALTH), and Treasurer Dr. Jiang Chang (IBT). In regulations of tissue development, organ size and cancers. addition, many other members made significant contributions to the success of this SCBA-TX symposium. The symposium received generous financial support from the National SCBA and sponsorship from four biotech companies, ABclonal Technology, Biocytogen Boston Corp, Nexcelom Bioscience LLC and Sino Biological.
This extraordinary day ended with faculty dinner at the famous Fung’s Kitchen, with typical Chinese dishes specially selected by Dr. Sophia Tsai (BCM). In summary, the members of SCBA-TX chapter concluded another memorable annual event, leaving the celebration activity to the imagination of the readers…
Drs. Yong Xu, Xiaodong Cheng, Duojia Pan (Keynote Speaker) and Jinsong Liu.
With the close of Dr. Duojia Pan’s outstanding Keynote Lecture and after the award presentation, Dr. Yong Xu gave concluding remarks, on behalf of his leadership team, to thank the attendees and speakers, and also specifically thanked Mrs. Hellen Weng, wife of the late Professor Alexander Yeu-Ming Wang, for her continuous support of the Professor Alexander Yeu-Ming Wang Dr. Ming-Jer Tsai, Ms. Helen Weng, Shiyang Song (Winner of Memorial Scholarship. Dr. Jianming Xu, a former SCBA-TX Alexander Yeu-Ming Wang Memorial Scholarship) and Dr. president and the current National SCBA Secretary, gave a short Yong Xu. presentation for National SCBA membership recruitment.
As a tradition, the SCBA-TX Treasurer (Dr. Jiang Chang) presented the financial report during a very brief business
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 5 Volume 34 | Issue 2
All trainee award winners, Ms. Helen Weng and symposium organizers.
Faculty members attended the banquet.
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 6 Volume 34 | Issue 2
who broke NIH rules, agency head says
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/universities-will- A List of Recent Reports and Articles Related to the soon-announce-action-against-scientists-who-broke-nih-rules- agency Topics and Concerns of Chinese American Scientists
Concerns about ties to China prompt firings
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6438/314 The Chinese Student Threat? https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/02/15/fbi- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/health/md-anderson- director-testifies-chinese-students-and-intelligence-threats chinese-scientists.html
ACD Working Group for Foreign Influences on Research https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/emory-ousts-two- Integrity chinese-american-researchers-after-investigation-foreign-ties https://acd.od.nih.gov/documents/presentations/12132018Fore ignInfluences_report.pdf
Foreign Influences on Research Integrity Chinese American scientists uneasy amid crackdown on https://acd.od.nih.gov/documents/presentations/12132018Fore foreign influence: ignInfluences.pdf
NIH asks federal watchdog to investigate 12 allegations Government concerns are also posing difficulties for US related to foreign influence academia at large. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/nih-asks-federal- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01605- watchdog-investigate-12-allegations-related-foreign-influence 9?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=6c2336f435- briefing-dy- New DOE policies would block many foreign research 20190603_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9 collaborations dfd39373-6c2336f435-42825031 https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/new-doe-policies- would-block-many-foreign-research-collaborations U.S. Government Profiling Ethnic Chinese Scientists https://concernedscientists.org/2019/06/u-s-government- NIH letters asking about undisclosed foreign ties rattle profiling-ethnic-chinese-scientists/ U.S. universities https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/03/nih-letters-asking- US-China Tensions Leave Some Researchers on Edge about-undisclosed-foreign-ties-rattle-us- https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/how-tensions- universities?from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0%22%20% between-the-us-and-china-affect-scientists--65986 5Ct%20%22_blank The U.S. Is Purging Chinese Cancer Researchers from Top Institutions https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-06-13/the-u- SCBA Letter, NIH Response, and the Scientist Report: s-is-purging-chinese-americans-from-top-cancer- research?from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6433/1290.full Emory scientist was told to vacate his office. He says move http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6433/1292 is reprisal for activism on Asian ties https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/06/emory-scientist- https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/chinese- was-told-vacate-his-office-he-says-move-reprisal-activism- american-scientist-societies-fear-racial-profiling-65627 asian-ties?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
The MD Anderson Cancer Center and Emory University Statements issued by some institutions or AAU and related Related Reports: news items:
Exclusive: Major U.S. cancer center ousts ‘Asian’ https://quadblog.stanford.edu/2019/03/07/in-support-of-our- researchers after NIH flags their foreign ties community/ https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/04/exclusive-major- us-cancer-center-ousts-asian-researchers-after-nih-flags-their- https://www.stanforddaily.com/2019/03/08/president-and- foreign?from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0 provost-release-a-statement-reaffirming-support-for- international-community-at-stanford/ Universities will soon announce action against scientists
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 7 Volume 34 | Issue 2 http://www.dailycal.org/2019/02/21/chancellor-carol-christ- Dr. Jie Sun, Mayo Clinic releases-statement-about-negative-comments-directed-at- Dr. Qiou Wei, University of Kentucky chinese-american-faculty/ Dr. Huan Ming Yang, BGI-China Dr. Xiao-Ming Yin, Indiana University https://president.umich.edu/news- Dr. Yanqiao Zhang, Northeast Ohio Medical University communications/statements/statement-at-regents-meeting-on- Dr. Tongqing Zhou, NIAID, NIH u-s-china-research-collaborations/ *International https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/health/md-anderson- chinese-scientists.html Regular Membership: https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/news/reaffirming-commitment- Dr. Haofeng Ji, UCLA our-international- Dr. Jingjing Jiang, Zhongshan Hospital* community?from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0 Dr. Lei Ding, Columbia University Medical Center Dr. Peng Jiang, Tsinghua University* https://www.aau.edu/newsroom/press-releases/aau- Dr. Feng Liu, Chinese Academy of Sciences* universities-committed-us-national-security-and-american- Dr. Wansheng Liu, Penn State University values Dr. Tianyi Mao, Oregon Health and Science University? Dr. Jian Yan, City University of Hong Kong https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2019/may/letter-international- Dr. Yan Yuan, University of Pennsylvania scholarship-president-provost/ Dr. Tatsuo Kido, University of California, San Francisco https://president.yale.edu/yale-s-steadfast-commitment-our- *International international-students-and-scholars Trainee Membership: https://il.ucausa.org/one-more-university-speaks-up/ Bogang Wu, George Washington University MIT President L. Rafael Reif open letter to the MIT Community on Immigration Best regards, http://news.mit.edu/2019/letter-community-immigration-is- oxygen-0625
Meet Our New Members
The Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (SCBA) is the largest professional society for Chinese bioscientists in North America. Our SCBA network has continued to expand, and we hope that our members encourage colleagues to join and enjoy the many resources and opportunities at SCBA. Xi He, Ph.D. Chris Lau, Ph.D. Co-Executive Director Co-Executive Director We would like to give a warm welcome to our newest members:
Life Membership:
Dr. Meng-Qiu Dong, NIBS* Dr. Xing Guo, Zhejiang University* Dr. Haitao Hu, University of Texas Dr. Cynthia Ju, University of Texas Health Science Center Dr. Yulong Li, Peking University* Dr. Han Liang, University of Texas MD.Anderson Cancer Center Dr. Pengda Liu, UNC, Chapel Hill Dr. Hong-Min Ni, KUMC Dr. Jianfei Qi, University of Maryland, Baltimore
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 8 Volume 34 | Issue 2
2019 SCBA Election and Ballot
Dear SCBA members,
Some days ago, SCBA has distributed the materials for 2019 SCBA Election. These materials are also included in the following pages. You can a list of highly qualified candidates for leadership/council/committee positions, who were nominated by our the SCBA Nomination Committee led by Dr. Zhong-Ping Feng.
Please also find a ballot at the end of this Newsletter as an appendix. If you are a SCBA member who has not submitted your filled ballot, please vote by filling and submit your ballot SCBA Newsletter is an official quarterly publication of by 6/30. The e-mail addresses to receive the filled ballot are the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America. For listed on the ballot. more information, please visit SCBA website: https://www.SCBAsociety.org/. As SCBA is entering a new phase with new challenges and opportunities, we encourage all members to cast their votes and Newsletter Editor: Jianming Xu, Ph.D. make their selections that will help to shape the future of SCBA. ([email protected])
Thanks and best regards, Production Editor: Chris Lau, Ph.D. ([email protected]) SCBA Administration Copyright © 2019. Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America. All rights reserved.
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 9 Volume 34 | Issue 2
Program at a glance
24th July 25th July 26th July 27th July 28th July Time Time Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Keynote Keynote President Award lecture 8:30- Keynote 8:00-8:45 (Elaine Fuchs) (Xuetao Cao) (Zhijian (James) Chen) 9:15 (Lieping Chen) KT Jeang Memorial lecture 9:15- Plenary Lecture 8:45-9:20 Plenary (Haifan Lin) Plenary Lecture (Hua Yu) (David Ho) 9:50 (Huanming Yang) 9:50- 9:20-9:40 20-min break 20-min break 20-min break Election Announcement 10:00 10:00- 9:40-10:55 Sessions 1,2,3,4,5 Sessions 16,17,18,19,20, 21 Sessions 38,39,40, 41, 42 20-min break 10:20 10:55-11:15 20-min break 20-min break 20-min break Presidential Human Genome Editing Forum: promises and challenges (Speakers: 10:20- Matthew Porteus, Charo Alta, Xiaomei 11:50 Zhai; Panel discussion: Paul Liu, Linzhao Sessions Sessions Sessions Cheng, Wensheng Wei, Huanming Yang)
11:15-12:30 6,7,8,9,10 23,24,25, 26, 27 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 11:50- Poster Awards; Travel Awards; 12:20 Acknowledgements 12:20- SCBA New President Morning 12:40 (Paul Liu and Hui Zheng) Arrival and 12:30-2:00 Lunch Lunch Lunch 12:40- Lunch Registration Chen Dong (Dr. Tsai-Fan Yu Legacy Lecture) 2:00- 2:35 Plenary lecture (Weizhi Ji) Sessions (2-2:35pm) 28,29,30, 31, 32, LS32 Kenneth Fong Young (2:00-3:15pm) Kenneth Fong Young Investigator Investigator Award (Xin Chen) 2:35-3:05 Award lecture (Meng C. Wang) (2:35-3:05pm) 3:05-3:25 20-min break 10-min break 20-min break Sessions Sessions Sessions 3:25- 4:40 11,12,13,14,15 33,34,35, 36, 37 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 Workshop for Career Development Publication Forum with (Host: Jianming Xu; Cell/Science/Cell Research
Panel discussion: Editors 5:00- 6:30 Poster I Poster II Xuetao Cao, Mien- (Linheng Li, John Pham, Plenary lecture Departure Chie Hung, Meng Beverly Pumell, Dangsheng 4:40-5:15 Wang, Xi He, Wei Li) (Zihe Rao) Afternoon Yang, Xin Chen
6:30- Opening Ceremony Dinner and 7:30 Liu/Chen/others -Banquet Performance 7:30- -Lifetime Achievement Award Keynote (5:15 - )
8:15 6:30-8:30 (James Wang) (Brian Kobilka) VIP Dinner -Acknowledgements 8:15- (Pan Zheng)
Evening Welcome Reception 9:45
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 10 Volume 34 | Issue 2 THE JOSEPH K.-K. LI Travel Awards
With a generous support of Dr. Kenneth Fong, the Chairman of Kenson Ventures LLC, we are delighted to announce the availability of the Joseph K. K. Li Travel Awards to students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty to attend and present in the 17th International Symposium of SCBA to be held in Kunming, China, from June 24 – 28, 2019. SCBA is anticipating providing 20-25 such travel awards to qualified individuals who is the first author of a poster presentation at the Symposium. Those originating from the North America and/or Europe will be provided a monetary assistance to cover their airfares and lodging expenses up to US$1,500, while those originating from Asia will be awarded up to US$500 for transportation and lodging expenses. Please note that the priority will be given to those candidates originating from North America.
Dr. Joseph Li (1940 – 2015) was a long-time Executive Director (2000 – 2010) and had contributed significantly to the initial establishment and growth of SCBA. He was a Professor of Biology at the Utah State University and had strong commitment to foster educational growth and scientific experience for students and postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Kenneth Fong, a former SCBA President and the founder and former CEO of Clontech Laboratories, had been a long-time friend of Dr. Li since their early careers in the 1970’s. His funding of the Joseph Li continues the passion both shared in fostering educational and learning experience for students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty in SCBA symposia in the past.
Requirements for Joseph Li Travel Awards: Student and postdoctoral fellow applicants should be nominated by their supervisory professors, who are members of SCBA. Junior faculty applicants need to be within the first four years of their appointments and members of SCBA. He/she must be the first author or last author of a poster/oral presentation, accepted by SCBA Program Committee. Please specify your application in your submitted abstract/registration and send your submitted abstract to the Travel Award Committee via the Co-Executive Directors, Dr. Chris Lau or Dr. Xi He via email attachment, [email protected], or [email protected] on or before May 31, 2019. Awardees will be announced in early June 2019.
Livia Li, Joe’s widow, and Ken Fong at the Kenson Ventures Office.
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 11 Volume 34 | Issue 2
THE JOSEPH K.-K. LI Travel Awards
Application Form
Name of Applicant: ______
Address and Affiliation: ______
______
Abstract Title: ______
Name of Supervisor/Professor: ______
Supervisor/Professor/Junior Faculty Applicant Membership Status: Life ( ) Regular ( ) International Life ( ) International Regular ( )
Affiliation: ______
______
Signature of Supervisor/Professor/Department Chair: ______(Student/Postdoctoral Fellow applicants) (Junior Faculty Applicants)
Please send your completed application form together with a copy of your submitted abstract to the Joseph Li Travel Awards Committee via email attachments to the Co-Executive Directors, Dr. Chris Lau, [email protected], and Dr. Xi He, [email protected] on or before July 1, 2019. First come, first served based on selection criteria.
June 2019 SCBA Newsletter 12 Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America You must type or sign your name on this ballot for your votes to be counted. All votes will be kept strictly confidential.
Name of Member______
2019 ELECTION BALLOT
OFFICE NOMINEES VOTE (Ö) 1. PRESIDENT: (VOTE FOR 1) Linheng Li (Stowers Institute for Medical Research) _____ (Jan. 1, 2022 - Dec. 31, 2023) Shan-Lu Liu (Ohio State University) _____ Lin Mei (Case Western Reserve University) _____
2. SECRETARY: (VOTE FOR 1) Gang Huang (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center) _____ (Jan. 1, 2022 - Dec. 31, 2023) Kunxin Luo (University of California, Berkeley) _____
3. TREASURER: (VOTE FOR 1) Pan Zheng (University of Maryland Baltimore) _____ (Jan. 1, 2022 - Dec. 31, 2023) Fen Wang (Texas A&M University, Houston) _____
4. COUNCILOR: (VOTE FOR 2) Wanjun Chen (NIDCR, NIH) _____ (Jan. 1, 2022 - Dec. 31, 2024) Haitao Guo (Indiana University) _____ Jim Hu (University of Toronto) _____ Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan (University of California, Davis) _____
5. NOMINATION COMMITTEE: Jinsong Liu (University of Texas, Houston) _____ (VOTE FOR 4) (Jan. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2021) Jun Lu (Yale University) _____ Heyu Ni (University of Toronto) _____ Hong-Shuo Sun (University of Toronto) _____ Zhi-Ming Zheng (NCI/NIH, Frederick) _____
6. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Mitchell Ho (NCI, NIH) _____ (VOTE FOR 4) (Jan. 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2021) Baohua Liu (University of Toronto) _____ Burton B Yang (University of Toronto) _____ Feng Yang (Baylor College of Medicine) _____ Yuan Zhu (George Washington University) _____
Please return your signed BALLOT by June 30, 2019 via e-mail attachment to the SCBA Co-Executive Directors, Chris Lau: [email protected] and Xi He: [email protected]
Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America
2019 Election Candidates June 2013
NOMINEES FOR SCBA PRESIDENT
LINHENG LI, Ph.D.
Current Position: Investigator, Stowers Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) Adjunct Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) Co-Leader, Cancer Biology Program, KUCC (NCI-CC)
Education and Training: B. S., Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 1985 Ph.D., New York University, New York, 1990-1995 Postdoctoral fellow: University of Washington, Seattle, 1995-2000
Appointments: 2001- 2005 Assistant Investigator, SIMR Adjunct Assistant Professor, KUMC 2006-May 2008 Associate Investigator, SIMR Affiliate Associate Professor, KUMC 2008-present Investigator, SIMR Affiliate Professor, KUMC
Research interests and contributions: My lab research is best known for using combined genomics and genetics to study stem cells and their associated niches in hematopoietic and intestinal tissues. We were among the first to identify the endosteal niche in supporting hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), the first cellular component of niche identified in a mammalian system. We were among the first to propose a model of co-existing reserve (a quiescent pool) and active adult stem cells in the same tissue in mammals. This concept not only provides an explanation for controversial observations of both quiescent and cycling stem cells in several tissues including bone marrow, intestine, and hair follicle in mammals, but also accounts for some aspects of drug resistance in cancer. We contributed to the field by characterizing and demonstrating the roles of several developmental signaling pathways in regulation of stem cells. These include: FGF, IGF, and Notch, BMP, and Wnt signaling affecting self- renewal; the PTEN controlled PI3K-Akt signaling, in coordination with Wnt- -catenin to promote HSC self- renewal; and, the role of non-canonical Wnt signaling in maintaining quiescent stem cells. He shows a critical role of epigenetic (via DNA methylation and non-coding RNA) regulation of H19-Igf2 and Gtl2 maintains primitive stem cells via suppression of mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism; as well as the Hoxb cluster that maintains normal stem cells but also contribute to leukemogenesis. Our recent works open up possibilities of translational medicine including (1) robust expanding human Umbilical cord blood (UBC) HSCs via targeting M6A-mediated mRNA degradation; (2) identification of mesenchymal or skeletal stem cell (MSC) marker and
1 expanding MSC population; (3) identification of an unrecognized axis of immune escaping downstream genes by -catenin, and screened drug that can overcome -catenin dependent immune escaping mechanism; and 4) Identification of therapeutic-resistant cancer stem cells in intestinal adenoma that has high risk to develop into colonrectal cancer.
Previous services to SCBA: 2005-present Member and life time membership 2017-2018 Elected-president of SCBA-hematology Division 2019-2020 President of SCBA-hematology Division 2019 Chair of Program committee, SCBA biennial symposium 2019.
Non-SCBA services: 2003 Missouri Biotechnology Association Excellence in Life Sciences Award in Basic Research 2009-2010 Vice President of Chinese Biological investigator Society 2011-2013 President of Chinese Biological investigator Society 2011-2015 Scientific Advisory Board, ISCRM, University of Washington 2008-present Board of Director, Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research (CSSCR) 2013 Member of program committee, International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISCCR) 2015-present Member of membership committee, ISCCR 2017 University of Kansas Cancer Center Director’s Basic Science Award 2018-present Chair, Member of membership committee, ISCCR 2018-present Scientific Advisory Board, Missouri State University School of Medicine 2006-2010 Editorial Board of JBC 2008-present Editorial Board of Cell Stem Cell 2009-2015 Editorial Board of Cancer Research 2009-2015 Editorial Board of Stem Cell 2010-present Editorial Board of Cell Research 2016-present Cell Regeneration 2017-present Editorial Board of Tumor Microenvironment
Selected Honors and Awards: 2004 Hudson Prize for excellence in basic biomedical research 2005 March of Dimes Award 2011 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2013 Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) 2018 University of Kansas Cancer Center Director’s William Jewel Team Science Award
SHAN-LU LIU, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Positions: Professor and Co-Director Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program, Infectious Diseases Institute Center for Retrovirus Research The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2 Education and Training: 1989 M.D., Henan Medical University (now Zhengzhou University School of Medicine) 1993 M.S., Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (now China CDC) 2003 Ph.D., University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Previous Positions: 2017- Co-Director, Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program, Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA 2016- Investigator, Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA 2016- Professor, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA 2010- Adjunct Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada 2010-2016 Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA 2005-2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
Research Interests: My laboratory studies virus-host interactions, in particular how RNA viruses enter host cells and cause pathogenesis in humans and animals. While in the past we have been primarily focusing on retroviruses including HIV, influenza A virus, and hepatitis C virus (HCV), current efforts are focused on new human emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including Ebola and Zika. My lab is also studying the role of some intrinsic host factors, including IFITM, LY6E, TIM and SERINC in the body’s antiviral response, with an ultimate goal of developing effective therapeutic strategies. The last aspect of our research is viral oncology, and we are continuing our efforts in elucidating how some viral oncogenes induce oncogenic transformation leading to tumorigenesis, as well as in discovering new tumor viruses that could be associated with lung and other epithelial cancers.
Previous services to SCBA: 2018- President, SCBA-Virology Division 2019-2019 Chair, SCBA special committee on open letter to Science “Racial Profiling Harms Science” 2017 Session Chair, 16th SCBA International Symposia, Hangzhou, China
Non-SCBA, Non-institutional Service: Editorial and Professional Services: Associate Editor, Viruses (2017-) Guest Associate Editor, PLoS Pathogens (2018) Guest Editor, Special issue “Mechanisms of Viral Fusion and Applications in Antivirals" in Viruses (2019) Guest Editor, Special issue “Viral Glycoprotein Incorporation” in Viruses (2013) Editorial Board Member, Journal of Virology (2014-) Editorial Board Member, Virology (2013-2016) Editorial Board Member, Virology & Mycology (2011-) Editorial Board Member, Viruses (2012-) National Institutes of Health (NIH, Virology B study section, standing member, 2016-2022) National Institutes of Health (NIH, Virology B study section, ad hoc reviewer, 2014-2016) Ad Hoc Journal reviews: Journal of Virology, Virology, mBio, Cancer Research, Cell Reports, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of General Virology, Journal of Virological Methods, Archives of Virology, Virology Journal, Current Microbiology, Current Medicinal Chemistry, Microbial Pathogenesis, European Journal of
3 Cancer, FASEB Journal, Viruses, Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Research, Molecular Cancer, Retrovirology, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, AIDS Research and Retroviruses, Journal of Visualized Experiments, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLoS Pathogens, PNAS USA
Selected Honors and Awards: 2018- Councilor, a lifetime honor of the Seattle Chinese Biomedical Association 2018 Distinguished Lecture Speaker, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine 2018 Elected Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology 2005-2010 Canada Research Chair in Virology and Gene Therapy, Canada 1999-2002 Molecular Training Award in Cancer Research, National Institute of Health, USA 1997 Second Prize, National Award for Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Beijing, P.R. China 1995 Second Prize, National Award for Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Beijing, P.R. China 1994 First Place and Presidential Prize, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (now China CDC), Beijing, P.R. China
LIN MEI, Ph.D.
Current Positions (since 2017): Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio; Director, Cleveland Brain Health Initiative; Allen C. Holmes Professor of Neurological Diseases
Education: Diploma of Medicine, 1982, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University MS (Neuropharmacology), 1985, Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Beijing, China. PhD (Pharmacology and Toxicology), 1989, University of Arizona. Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine.
Appointments: 1994-1999, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 1999-2002, Assistant Professor; 2002-2004 Associate Professor, Neurobiology, Pathology, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 2004-2017, Professor of Neurology; 2009-2014, Director of Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics; 2014- present, Professor and Chair (Inaugural), Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia
Research Interest: Neural development, synapse formation and plasticity, pathophysiological mechanisms of neuromuscular disorders, and brain disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism.
Service to SCBA: Life-time member (since 2004; member since 1994). 2009, Co-Chair, Program Committee of 2009 SCBA International Symposium, Taipei. 2011, Session Chair, 13th SCBA International Symposium, Guangzhou, China.
4 2014 – Present, Associate Editor, Cell & Bioscience. 2016 – Present, Councilor 2016 – 2017, Chair of Program Committee of 2017 SCBA International Symposium, Hangzhou 2019, Cell and Bioscience Service Award
Non-SCBA, Non-institutional Service: Society for Neuroscience (SfN) - Membership and Chapters Committee, 2007-2010; Achievement Awards Selection Committee, 2010 – 2012, Committee on Committee (2018-2022); Chinese Biological Investigators Society (CBIS) - Treasurer, 2006 – 2010; American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) – Fellow, Program Committee (2015 - 2018); Editorial member of 9 journals including Journal of Neuroscience; Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Hong Kong, 2012; Chair, Symposium on Synapse Formation, SfN 2015 Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Selected Honors: 1987, Honorary Citizen of Tucson, the City of Tucson, Arizona; Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Neuroscience; 2008, Mathilde Solowey Lecture Award in Neurosciences, Foundation for Advanced Education in Sciences at NIH; 2008, Distinguished Investigator, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD); 2009, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Visiting Lecturer; 2013, Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
NOMINEES FOR SCBA SECRETARY
GANG HUANG, Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor Division of Pathology, Joint, Divisions of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Affiliated Associate Professor Dept. Pathology, COM, UC, Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Education: 1991: B.S. (Cell Biology & Genetics), Beijing University, College of Science, Beijing, P.R. China (Mentor: Professor Kegang Shang PhD) 1994 M.S. (Molecular & Developmental Biology), Inner Mongolia University, Graduate School of Science, Huhhort, P.R. China (Mentor: Dr. Shurgan Bao PhD) 2001 Ph.D. (Virology & Oncology), Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan (Mentor: Dr. Yoshiaki Ito MD & PhD) 2001-2002: Instructor, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan 2002-2005: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA (Mentor: Dr. Daniel G. Tenen MD & PhD) 2005-2009: Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Hematologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (Mentor: Stephen D. Nimer MD)
2001 Appointments:
5 1998-1999: Teaching Assistant, Institute of Virus Research, Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan 2001-2002: Instructor, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan 2002-2005: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA 2005-2009: Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Hematologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 2009-2015: Assistant Professor, Division of Pathology, Joint, Divisions of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Affiliated Assistant Professor, Dept. Pathology, COM, UC, Cincinnati, Ohio 2015-present: Associate Professor, Division of Pathology, Joint, Divisions of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Affiliated Associate Professor, Dept. Pathology, COM, UC, Cincinnati, Ohio
KUNXIN LUO, Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Department of Molecular and Cell Biology University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-3370 [email protected]
Education: 1987-1992 Ph. D. Candidate, The Salk Institute and University of California, San Diego Mentor: Dr. Bartholomew M. Sefton 1992-1993 Interim postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Bart Sefton at the Salk Institute 1993-1997 Postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Harvey F. Lodish’s laboratory at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. 1996-1997: Biomedical Fellow of the Bunting Institute of Radcliffe College, Harvard University.
Appointments: 1997 -2003 Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1997-2002 Assistant Adjunct Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 2002-2003 Associate Adjunct Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Berkeley 2003-present Faculty Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2003-2009 Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Berkeley 2009- present Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, UC Berkeley
Non-SCBA, Non-institutional Service: 2001-2006 Judge: Siemens Westinghouse Science & Technology Competition (Regional finalist) 2005 NIH Intramural program reviewer: NCI laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology 2005-2006 Member: DOD BCRP Molecular Biology and Genetics 2 study section 2006-2008 Member: NIH MONC study section 2001-2007 Ad hoc reviewer (NIH ZRG1 ONC-U, CMI-A, and TCB study sections, ZRG1 IMM-B (02) special emphasis panel, Philip Morris External Research Program, The France-Berkeley Fund, National Science Foundation, Science Foundation Ireland Investigator Program)
6 2010 Member: American Heart Association Research Grant Review Panel 2010 NIH Intramural program reviewer: NCI laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology 2010-2013 Member: NIH TCB study section 2007-2012 Editorial board: Journal of Biological chemistry 2009 Co-Organizer: FASEB Summer Research Conference on TGF Signaling and Development 2011 Organizer: FASEB Summer Research Conference on TGF Signaling and Development present: Associate Editor: Molecular Biology of the Cell 2014 Ad hoc reviewer: assessment of NIH CSR Oncology Basic Translational (OBT) IRG
Honors: 1993-1995 NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship 1996-1997 Biomedical Fellow of the Bunting Institute of Radcliffe college 1996-1997 US Army Breast Cancer Research Program Postdoctoral Fellowship 1997-2002 New Investigator Award, California Breast Cancer Research Program 2012 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2015 Chau Hoi Shuen Foundation Women in Science New Grant Award 2016 MAYENT-ROTHSCHILD-INSTITUT CURIE mini-Sabbatical
NOMINEES FOR SCBA TREASURER
PAN ZHENG, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor, Department of Surgery Division of Immunotherapy, Institute of Human Virology University of Maryland Baltimore
Education: MD, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China, 1979 – 1987. Resident, Internal Medicine, PUMC Hospital, Beijing, China, 1987 – 1989.
PhD, Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1994. Resident, Pathology, New York University, NY, 1994 - 1998.
Positions: 1998 – 2003 Assistant Professor, Dept of Pathology, The Ohio State University School of Medicine. 2003 – 2006 Associate Professor, Dept of Pathology, The Ohio State University School of Medicine. 2006 – 2011 Associate Professor, Dept of Surgery and Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine. 2011 – 2013 Professor, Dept of Surgery and Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine. 2013 – 2018 McKnew Professor of Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Research Interest: My research interests are tumor immunology, cancer biology and signal transduction in hematopoietic stem cells. One of our major efforts is in study TSC-mTOR signaling in rejuvenation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and immunity. Using genetically modified mice with conditionally deletion of hematopoietic lineage cells, we demonstrated that mTOR inhibition is critical to maintain hematopoietic stem cell quiescence. Activation of mTOR in HSC increased mitochondrial biogenesis and elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Short- term rapamycin treatment greatly enhanced the efficacy of influenza vaccination in aged mice. We have active
7 programs in tumor immunology. My focus has been shifted to different phases of clinical trials with novel agents developed from lab research.
Service to SCBA: 2017-2019 Treasurer in 2017-2019
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA services: 2006 American Cancer Society Research Scholar 2011 – 2013 CBIS, Secretary. 2014 – 2016 CBIS, Board member
FEN WANG, PhD
Current Position: Professor, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University
Education: B.S., Microbiology, Xiamen University, 1982, Xiamen, China M. S., Cell Biology, Xiamen University, 1985, Xiamen, China Ph. D., Biochemistry/Cell Biology, Clarkson University, 1994 Potsdam, NY
Postdoctoral Fellow, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 1994-1996
Previous Positions: 1996-1999 Assistant Research Scientist, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 2000-2006 Assistant Professor, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 2006-2010 Associate Professor with tenure, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 2010-Present Professor, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, Texas
Research: The laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular basis of cell signaling, and how aberrant cell signaling leads to birth defects and causes cancers. Using in vitro cell culture systems and in vivo mouse models, we study how the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) activates its receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase, and how the activated FGFR transmits the signals to downstream targets and regulates proliferation, differentiation, homeostasis, and function of the cells, as well as in organogenesis and development, including prostate and cardiovascular system development. The laboratory also employs molecular biology, cell biology, and mouse genetic technologies to study how aberrant FGF signals promote tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. In addition, how environmental factors contribute to tumorigenesis and congenital birth defects by modulating FGF signal intensity and specificity is also under the scope of our research interests. Over the years, he has published over 140 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. For a complete list of publications, please visit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/fen.wang.1/bibliography/40852241/public/?sort=date&direction=a scending
Service to SCBA: • Life-time member of SCBA since 2003
8 • The Treasurer of SCBA TX Chapter, 2003 – 2004 • The Secretary of SCBA TX Chapter, 2004 – 2005 • The President Elect of SCBA TX Chapter, 2006 – 2007 • The President of SCBA TX Chapter, 2007 – 2008 • Organizing Committee, Annual Symposium, Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America, Texas Chapter, 2006 • Organizing Committee, Annual Symposium, Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America, Texas Chapter, 2007
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA Service 2015- President, Xiamen University America Alumni Association, 2014- President, Dr. Deyao Wang and Wenzheng Wang Scholarship Foundation
NOMINEES FOR SCBA COUNCILOR
WANJUN CHEN, M.D.
Current Position: Senior Investigator Chief, Mucosal Immunology Section, OPCB, NIDCR, NIH
Education: 1984 M.D., Qingdao Medical College, China 1987 M.S. Immunology, Shandong Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, China 1992-1996 Postdoctoral fellow, Harvard Medical School, MA,
Research Interest: My laboratory is elucidating mechanisms of TGF-β regulation of T-cell immunity and tolerance with focus on regulatory T cells (Tregs), and manipulating T-cell immunity versus tolerance in animal models to understand the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and inflammation, cancer and infectious diseases and to develop potential therapies for relevant human diseases. We discovered TGF-β induces Foxp3 in naïve CD4+ T cells and converts them into Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. Ongoing work includes the induction of tumor-specific T effector cells for cancer immunotherapy.
Past and current services to SCBA: Session Chair, 13rd International SCBA Conference, Guangzhou, China, 2011 Keynote Speaker, Annual Meeting of The Texas Chapter of SCBA, Houston, 2011 Member, Senior Member Committee, SCBA Washington DC/Baltimore Chapter, 2012-present Chair, SCBA Joint Session, Chinese Biopharmaceutical Association USA (CBA) Annual Meeting, Rockville, MD, 2014 Co-Chair, SCBA DC-Baltimore Chapter Annual Scientific Symposium, Baltimore, 2015 Session Co-Chair, The 15th International SCBA Symposium, Taipei, 2015 President, SCBA Washington DC-Baltimore Chapter, 2015 Member, SCBA Nomination Committee, 2016-2017 Session Chair and Speaker, The 16th International SCBA Symposium, Hangzhou, 2017
9 Session Co-Chair, SCBA DC-Baltimore Chapter Annual Scientific Symposium, Rockville, 2018 SCBA Session Co-Chair and Speaker, CBA Annual Conference, Rockville, 2018 Session Speaker, The 17th International SCBA Symposium, Kunming, 2019
Honors (partial list): Invited Speaker, NIH Director’s Seminar Series, NIH, 2009 Co-organizer, Keystone Symposium, TGF-β in Immune Responses, Utah, 2011 The Wang Ying-Lai Memorial Lecture, Houston, 2011 Scientific Achievement Award, NIH Asian and Pacific Islander American Organization, NIH, 2013 Chair, NIH Stadtman Tenure-track Investigator Search Immunology Committee, NIH 2011-12 Chief Organizer, Keystone Symposia, TGF-β in immunity, inflammation and Cancer, Taos, 2017 Major Symposium Speaker, 17th International Congress of Immunology, Beijing, 2019
HAITAO GUO, Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor Department of Microbiology and Immunology Indiana University School of Medicine
Education: B.S., Virology, Wuhan University, 1996 Ph.D., Virology, Wuhan University, 2001 Postdoc fellow, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 2002-2004
Positions: 2004 - 2008 Instructor, Drexel University College of Medicine 2008 – 2011 Research Assistant Professor, Drexel University College of Medicine 2011 – 2014 Associate Professor, Drexel University College of Medicine 2014 – 2019 Associate Professor, Indiana University School of Medicine 2019 – Professor, Indiana University School of Medicine
Research Interest: My current research focuses on the viral pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and antiviral discovery. HBV is the etiologic agent of viral hepatitis B, a disease affecting approximately 350 million people worldwide who suffer the high risk of liver failure, cirrhosis and liver cancer. My lab aims at understanding the molecular mechanisms of HBV DNA replication and morphogenesis, with special focus on the biosynthesis and regulation of HBV covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA, which is the persistent form of HBV infection and resistant to current antiviral therapies. Making use of the HBV cccDNA reporter cell line systems, my lab is screening small molecule compound libraries for cccDNA inhibitors in a high throughput fashion. In addition, my lab is also studying the innate immunity and oncogenic signaling pathways that regulate HBV replication.
Service to SCBA: 2017 – Date Secretary, SCBA-Indiana Chapter 2018 – Date Treasurer, SCBA-Virology Division
Non-SCBA Service 2012-date PLoS One (Editor)
10 2014-2017 Method in Molecular Biology (Book Editor) 2016-date Journal of Virology (Editorial Board Member) 2016-date PLoS Pathogens (Guest Editor) 2016-date Virology Journal (Associate Editor) 2017-date Hepatology (Editorial Board Member) 2018-date Antiviral Research (Editorial Board Member) 2018-date Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (Associate Editor) 2019-date Virologica Sinica (Editorial Board Member) 2019-date Journal of Medical Virology (Associate Editor)
2017-date NIH VIRB Study Section (Standing member)
2013-date Member, International HBV Meeting Organizer Committee 2015 Co-organizer, 31th International HBV Meeting 2019-date Member, International HBV Meeting Scientific Advisory Council
2016-date Co-Chair, Virology Working Group International Coalition to Eliminate Hepatitis B (ICE-HBV) 2018-date Member, Committee of NIAID Repository of HBV Research Resources 2019-date Co-Chair of ICE-HBV Protocols Database Working Group
Selected Honors and Awards: 2000 First Award of the 3rd Conference of Young Microbiology Investigators (Chinese Society for Microbiology) 2002 First Award of Outstanding Popular Science Literature (Administration of Press and Publication of Hubei Province, China) 2006 First Prize Poster Award for the Young Investigator (19th International Conference on Antiviral Research) 2008-2014 Bruce Witte Fellow of Hepatitis B Foundation (American Hepatitis B Foundation) 2017-2020 Showalter Scholar of Indiana University School of Medicine 2017 Research Frontier Trailblazer Award of Indiana University Purdue University 2019 Indiana University Trustees’ Teaching Award
JIM HU, Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto Senior Scientist, Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Education: 1990/09-1995/08 Postdoc in Genetics, University of Toronto, Canada Advisor, James D. Friesen 1984/09-1990/08 Ph.D. in Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. USA. Advisor: Lawrence Bogorad 1982/09-1984/08 Ph.D. Candidate (Microbiology) Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA, Advisor: Carl
11 A. Price 1978/03-1982/02 B.Sc. (Microbiology) Beijing Agricultural University, Beijing China
Research Interest: Dr. Hu is a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto and the Physiology and Experimental Medicine Department at the Hospital for Sick Children. He has been well trained in the area of gene regulation at both the levels of gene transcription and RNA splicing. He has a long- standing interest in developing therapeutic strategies for cystic fibrosis. He made major contributions to CF lung gene therapy through designing and producing novel helper-dependent adenoviral vectors for airway CFTR expression as well as developing efficient delivery methods for lung gene delivery in large animal models. The viral vectors developed by his group have major advantages for CF gene replacement therapy as well as gene editing, such as high efficiency in airway transduction, large DNA carrying capacity and low toxicity. He has extensive experience in obtaining and managing research grants as well as in training post doctoral fellows and graduate students. He has collaborated locally, nationally and internationally with scientists around the world. He has been a highly productive investigator in the CF gene therapy field. His major research goal is to develop CRISPR-based novel gene therapy approaches to permanently correct genetic airway diseases through gene editing or gene integration in airway stem cells.
Previous service to SCBA: 1996-Present Life time member of SCBA (Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America) 1997-Present Co-chair of SCBA International Sympoium workshops many times 1999-2001 President of the Toronto Chapter of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America. 2011-Present Editorial Board-Cell and Bioscience 2002-2003 Secretary of the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America
Selected Honors / Awards: 1982 CUSBEA (Chinese-United States Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Examination and Application) Student 1984 Graduate Scholarship from Harvard University, Cambridge MA 1987 Maria Moors Cabot Predoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 1991 MRC Postdoctoral Fellow of Canada 1998-2000 Power of Dreams Research Award, Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 2000-2005 Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Scholarship 2004-2007 Premier’s Research Excellence Award of Ontario 2005-2006 Zellers Senior Scientist Award of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Directory/People/H/Jim-Hu.html
YU-JUI YVONNE WAN, Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor and Vice Chair Department of Pathology University of California, Davis
Education: B.S. 1979 Taipei Medical University, Taipei
M.S. Ph.D. 1981 Drexel University, Philadelphia
12 Research: • Study the role of gut microbiota in contributing to and preventing obesity and metabolism-associated health issues including fatty liver, systemic inflammation, skin disease, mental and neurological issues, and cancer aiming to uncover means for treatment.) • Study the beneficial effects of vitamins and natural products such as chemicals derived from tea, β- carotene, milk, or fermentation-generated metabolites. • Study the effect of gut microbiota in regulating bile acid synthesis that in turn affects metabolism, insulin sensitivity, immunity, inflammation, and cancer formation or prevention. • Current Research Support: Ø California Department of Public Health (My Role: Lead PI) 2019-2024 Title: Dietary-modulated Bile Acid Signaling in Regulating Cognitive Health and Dysfunction Ø NIH, NCI (1R01 CA222490) (My Role: PI) 2018-2023 Title: Liver Cancer Therapy by MiR-22 and Its Inducers Ø NIH, NCI (1U01CA179582) (My Role: Lead PI) 2014-2019 Title: The Role of Probiotic Bifidobacteria and Bile Acid Metabolism in Carcinogenesis Ø NIH, SC3 GM125546 (My Role: Co-I) 2018-2022 Effect of Western Diet in Gastrointestinal Cancer by NMR Metabolomics PI: Krish Krishnan, University of California, Davis Ø NIH, NIDDK (5U24DK076169-13) (My Role: PI of a Sub-award) 2019-2020 Title: Mouse Microbiome and Liver Tumorigenesis (30835-60) Ø NIH, NIAAA 2R01AA021510 (My Role: PI of a Sub-award) 2018-2023 Title: Combination of therapy using siRNA nanocompelex and PD-L1 inhibitor for alcoholic liver fibrosis PI; Cheng Kun, University of Missouri
Positions: 1984-1989 Postdoctoral Fellow (84-86), Staff Fellow (86-87), Senior Staff Fellow (87-89) NICHD, NIH, 1989-2013 Assistant Professor (89-95), Associate Professor (95-01), Professor (01-03), Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, UCLA, CA 1996-1998 Pathology Course Director, Biomedical Science Program, UC, Riverside, CA 2003-2012 Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Kansas, KS 2007-2010 Joy McCann Professor, University of Kansas, KS 2007-2012 Program Leader, Cancer Biology, the University of Kansas Cancer Center, KS 2007-2012 Director, Liver Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS 2012-Present Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Pathology, UC Davis, CA 2019-Present Leader, Cancer and Microbiome Initiative (CaM), UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, CA
Service to SCBA: 2009-2011 Membership Committee, SCBA; Lifetime member since 1989.
Honors (partial list): 2003 Distinguished Women in Research Award, honored by Congresswoman Jane Harman. 2005-2006 Vice President, President Elect, Central State Chapter, Society of Toxicology 2006-2007 President, Central State Chapter, Society of Toxicology 2007-2010 Joy McCann Professorship, University of Kansas, KS 2009 Women in Toxicology SIG Elsevier Mentoring Award from the Society of Toxicology 2010 Chancellor’s Club Research Award, University of Kansas, KS 2016 The Outstanding Alumni Award, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan NIH Grant Review Service (partial list): 2000-2003 Charter Member, Chemical Pathology Study Section (CPA), NIH 2003-2005 Charter Member, Cancer Etiology Study Section (CE), NIH
13 2009-2013 Charter Member, the Xenobiotic and Nutrient Disposition and Action Study Section, NIH March 2015 DDK-C 1, Digestive Diseases and Nutrition C Subcommittee, NIH 2016, 2017 NIH, 2016 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program Feb 2018 NCI Provocative Questions: How does microbiota affect the response to cancer therapies? Nov, 2018 Special Emphasis Panel, Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental Health Research (RIVER R35) Award Review, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC Feb 2019 Toxicology and Digestive, Kidney and Urological Systems, ZRG1 DKUS-R Special Emphasis
Published Work in MyBibliography (185): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/yu- jui.wan.1/bibliography/43144287/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending
NOMINEES FOR SCBA NOMINATION COMMITTEE
JINSONG LIU, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor Department of Pathology The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Education: Dr. Jinsong Liu is a professor with tenure in the Department of Pathology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He graduated from Shanghai Medical University (now Fudan University) and came to the United States through the China–the United States Biochemistry Examination Application program (CUSBEA). He studied at Indiana University and received a master’s degree and his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 1991. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Michigan. He completed his pathology residency and surgical pathology fellowship training at New York University School of Medicine from 1994 to 1999. He is certified by American Board of Anatomic Pathology. He joined the faculty in the Department of Pathology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer in 1999 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2004 and professor in 2009 with tenure.
Positions: Dr. Jinsong Liu joined the faculty in the Department of Pathology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer in 1999 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2004 and professor in 2009 with tenure.
Research Interest: Dr. Liu is an active member of a world renowned diagnostic team focusing on gynecologic malignancies and laboratory investigator at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Liu is an internationally recognized for his expertise in diagnosis of gynecologic tumors and research achievements in ovarian cancer. His research has focused on the mechanisms of epithelial tumorigenesis, inflammation, tumor microenvironment, and prognostic markers for ovarian cancer. Recently, his group shows first time that polyploidy giant cancer cells (PGCCs) have properties of blastomere-like cancer stem cells and propose a dualistic origin to explain the tumor origin and phenotype observed by pathologist and of offers a completely new paradigm for cancer origin and relapse. Dr. Liu’s research has been continuously funded by multiple grants from different funding agencies. Dr. Liu has co-authored 237 peer reviewed original publications and 26 reviews in many prestigious scientific
14 journals including Cells, Cancer Cells, Nature Medicine, Proceeding of National academy of Science, Cancer Res. Clin Cancer Res, Oncogenes, and Seminars in Cancer Biol. His work has been cited >14,000 time with H-index 67.
Service to SCBA: Life member 2012-2013 President of SCBA-Texas Chapter
Non-SCBA services: 2013-2014 President of Chinese American Pathologist Association (CAPA) Dr. Liu has mentored multiple junior faculty members, residents, pathology fellows, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and college students, and research assistants from many parts of world. He has co-organized M.D. Anderson Cancer Center-China Pathology Symposia since 2005. He has given multiple lectures at national and international meetings and more than 30 institutions in US, Europe, and China. Dr. Liu has been an editorial member of several reputable journals including Modern Pathology, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, American J of Translational Research; and Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA services: Dr. Liu received most prestigious Lin Qiaozhi Cup Award in 2018 by Chinese Gynecologic Society and is only first and only pathologist in North American receiving this award.
JUN LU, Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor Department of Genetics and Yale Stem Cell Center Yale University School of Medicine
Education: BS, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China 1993-1997. PhD, Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, 1997-2003
Positions: 2004 – 2008: Postdoctoral Associate, Broad Institute, Boston, MA 2009 – 2014: Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics and Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine. 2014 – percent: Associate Professor, Department of Genetics and Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine.
Research Interest: My laboratory is interested in noncoding and epigenetic regulation of hematopoiesis and cancer. In a normal adult human being, ~100 to 200 billion new blood cells are generated every day to replace similar numbers of existing blood cells. These mature blood cells originate from hematopoietic stem cells and exhibit vastly different forms, shapes and functions, regulating processes such as innate and adaptive immune responses, oxygen transport and coagulation. Mature blood cells, for example macrophages and neutrophils, can also be found in tumor tissues to control tumor cell behavior and anti-cancer immune responses. Currently, we are focusing on three scientific areas. 1. Epigenetic mechanisms that control solid cancer and immune cell cross talks. We study how epigenetic regulators control gene expression in both innate immune and cancer cells that
15 regulate anti-cancer immunity. 2. Noncoding RNAs in normal hematopoiesis and leukemia. We work toward revealing the “RNA licensing codes” by which defined groups of noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs, enter specific RNA binding protein pathways. We also work on the regulation of these codes in the context of hematopoiesis and leukemia. 3. Finding novel functional noncoding sequences in the genome. We generate new technologies and perform genetic screens to identify functional noncoding sequences in the genome, using hematopoietic cells as a model.
Service to SCBA: 2018-present Committee Member of the SCBA-HD
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA services 2007 Forbeck Scholar, William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation 2012 The Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust Fellow
HEYU NI, M.D., Ph.D.
Platform Director, Hematology, Cancer and Immunological Diseases, Laboratory Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital Professor, Physiology, University of Toronto Professor, Medicine, University of Toronto Professor, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto Scientist, Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services Scientist, Laboratory Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital Past President, SCBA Toronto Chapter
Education: 1980/9 - 1985/7 Doctorate, MD, Anhui Medical University 1985/9 - 1988/7 MSc, Anhui Medical University 1993/5 - 2000/2 Doctorate, PhD, University of Manitoba 1998/4 - 2001/6 Post-doctorate, Harvard Medical School
Research Interest: Dr. Ni’s laboratory currently investigates the roles of adhesion molecules involved in hemostasis and thrombosis, inflammation/immune response, and tumorigenesis. His research team is currently studying the mechanisms of these processes using a confocal intravital microscopy suite, proteomics, and gene targeted mice. By directly monitoring molecular/cellular events in vivo, they hope to uncover some novel mechanisms of platelet aggregation, platelet-leukocyte/cancer cell interactions to enrich our knowledge in heart attack and stroke, inflammation and tumor metastasis. The laboratory also studies allo- and autoimmune diseases related to bleeding disorders such as Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP), Fetal and Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (FNAIT). They have established several novel murine models of ITP and FNAIT. His studies have been well funded by both internal and external grant agencies including Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) project, and CIHR Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), Canadian Blood Services (CBS), Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA), and NSFC- CIHR (China- Canada Joint Health Research Initiative Program). Dr. Ni has many high impact publications, acts as a reviewer for more than 20 scientific journals, sits on various scientific committees and granting agencies in Canada (HSFC, CIHR, NSFC-CIHR), China (NSFC), and US (NIH), and Europe and lectures at the local, national and international level.
16 Service to SCBA: Giving opening remarks for SCBA Toronto Chapter 2016-18 Annual Scientific Symposium Served as session chairs/speakers at several SCBA meetings. Served as host at several SCBA dinner parties Participants of past SCBA meetings
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA services: Graduate Student Mentorship Award (Faculty of Medicine), University of Toronto; Award for Undergraduate Education, University of Toronto; S. C. Verma Young Investigator Award (Heart & Stroke/Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence), University of Toronto
HONG-SHUO SUN, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor (tenured), Departments of Surgery, Physiology, Pharmacology Faculty of Surgery, University of Toronto, Canada
Education: 1982 M.D., Zhongshan Medical College, Guangzhou, China 1984 Resident, Zhongshan 1st University Hospital, Guangzhou, China 1990 M.Sc, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2004 Ph.D, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2009 PDF, Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
Positions: 2004-2010: Focus on Stroke Fellow, Toronto Western Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2010-2015: Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada 2015-present: Tenured Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Research Interests: My research interests are in studying the role of ion channels in brain diseases and neuroprotection against stroke, and identifying potential therapeutic targets for brain diseases and stroke. The experimental approaches are mainly focused on in-vivo animal models of human diseases in combination with molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, in-vitro, advanced imaging, electrophysiology, and functional and behavioural assessments. These approaches will allow us to: 1) study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying brain disease and stroke; 2) to identify potential molecular targets that are responsible for the brain injury; 3) to develop pharmacological strategies in drug development for against brain disease and injury.
Service to SCBA: 2019 Chair, Annual Symposium, SCBA Toronto Chapter 2018 - present President, SCBA Toronto Chapter 2012 – 2017 Member, Executive Committee, SCBA Toronto Chapter 2004 – Present Life member, SCBA
Selected Honors and Awards: 2002-2004: Doctoral Research Award (Focus on Stroke Awards): Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Heart and & Foundation of Canada, Canadian Stroke Network, AstraZeneca Canada. 2005-2007: Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (Focus on Stroke Awards): CIHR, HSF, CSN, Canada.
17 2009 & 2010: Brain Star Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada. 2010: Marlene Reimer Brain Star of the Year Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) 2010: Boehringer-Ingelheim Post-doctoral Award in Pharmacology, Canadian Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CSPT), 2010 recipient.
ZHI-MING ZHENG, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Senior Investigator & Chief Tumor Virus RNA Biology Section RNA Biology Laboratory, NCI/NIH, Frederick
Education: 1971-1974, Diploma, Wuhan University School of Medicine 1978-1981, MS (Virology), Wuhan University School of Medicine 1981-1984, Postdoctoral Fellow (Clinical Virology), Yale University School of Medicine 1990-1994, PhD (Microbiology & Immunology), University of South Florida School of Medicine 1994-1997, Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Tumor Virus Biology, NCI/NIH
Positions: 2016 - Senior Investigator & Chief, Tumor Virus RNA Biology Section, RNA Biology Laboratory, CCR/NCI, Frederick, MD, USA 2012 - 2012 Senior Investigator & Chief, Tumor Virus RNA Biology Section, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Lab., CCR/NCI, Frederick, MD, USA 2009 - 2012 Senior Investigator & Chief, Tumor Virus RNA Biology Section, HIV & AIDS Malignancy Branch, CCR/NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA 2000 - 2009 Investigator & Chief, Tumor Virus RNA Biology Section, HIV & AIDS Malignancy Branch, CCR/NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA 1997 – 1999 Senior Staff, Basic Research Laboratory, DBS/NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA 1987 – 1990 Associate Professor, Virus Research Institute (VRI), Wuhan Univ. School of Med. (WUSM, formerly Hubei Med. Univ.), Wuhan 1985 – 1989 Chief, Laboratory of Clinical Virology, VRI, WUSM, Wuhan 1985 – 1990 Deputy/Acting Director, VRI, WUSM, Wuhan 1984 – 1987 Assistant Professor, VRI, WUSM, Wuhan 1974 – 1978 Lecturer, Dept. of Med. Microbiol. & Parasitol., Xiaogan Medical School, Hubei
Service to SCBA and non-SCBA services: 2018 SCBA Virology Division/Association of Chinese Virologists in America, Honorary President. 2013 – 2014 SCBA Council Member and Chair, Membership Committee 2013 – 2014 President, SCBA Washington DC-Baltimore Chapter 2013 Co-Chair, KT Jeang Memorial Lectures, the 14th SCBA International Symposium, July 18-22, 2013, Xi'an, China 2013 Co-Chair, KT Jeang Memorial Symposium on Virus-Host Interaction, the 14th SCBA International Symposium, July 18-22, 2013, Xi'an, China 2014 Member of the Organizing Committee for NIH Annual KT Jeang Memorial Lecture 2007 Chief Organizer, the 24th International Papillomavirus Conference and Clinical Workshop, Beijing, China, Nov. 3-9, 2007 2006 – 2016 Member of International Papillomavirus Society Scientific Committee Treasurer in 2017-2019
18 1988 – 1993 Vice-president of Chinese Society for Medical Virology
Selected Honors and Awards: 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award for understanding papillomavirus RNA splicing, DNA Tumor Virus Conference, Birmingham, UK, July 17-22, 2017 2016 NCI Outstanding Mentor Award 2016 NIH APAO (Asian and Pacific Islander American Organization) Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award 2016 Honorary Professor, Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, China 2014 Elected to American Academy of Microbiology 2012 Honorary Professor, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Women’s Hospital, China 2010 NIH 2010 Director Award of Merit
NOMINEES FOR SCBA MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
MITCHELL HO (何苗壮), Ph.D.
Current Position: Senior Investigator Chief, Antibody Therapy Section, LMB, NCI Director, NCI Antibody Engineering Program Chair, Department of Biochemistry, FAES Graduate School, NIH
Education: B.S. East China Normal University, 1990 M.A. San Francisco State University, 1997 Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2002 Postdoc Fellow, National Cancer Institute, 2007
Positions: 1990-1992 Assistant Engineer, Shanghai Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Laboratories 1995-1996 Scientist II, DNAX Research Institute (now Merck Research Laboratories) 1996-1997 Research Associate, Protein Design Labs (now PDL BioPharma) 2008-2015 Investigator (Tenure-Track), Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), NCI 2014-2015 Co-Chair, Department of Biochemistry, FAES Graduate School, NIH
Research Interest: My research focuses on the role of cell surface glypicans in cancer and develops antibody engineering technologies to create novel therapies. My contributions to cancer research include (1) research on the role of glypicans as a new family of cancer antigens and generation of antibodies, immunotoxins and CAR T cells targeting GPC1, GPC2 and GPC3 for treating liver cancer and other solid tumors that currently lack effective treatment, (2) discovery of single domain antibodies that are capable of reaching buried functional domains in the receptor/ligand complexes to inhibit cancer signaling, (3) identification of the Wnt functional binding domain in GPC3 providing evidence to support the role of glypicans in regulating cancer development, (4) identification of the MUC16/CA125 functional binding domain in mesothelin, a mechanistic interaction for cancer metastasis, and (5) development of antibody engineering methods including mammalian cell display,
19 humanization of rabbit and mouse antibodies, and construction of large phage displayed shark and camel single domain antibody libraries.
Service to SCBA: 2018 Organizer, SCBA DC-Baltimore Chapter Annual Symposium
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA services: NIH Federal Technology Transfer Awards (2008-2018) Mesothelioma Foundation award (2008); Ovarian Cancer Research Investigator Award (2008) NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Award for Principal Investigators (2011) Panel Reviewer, Department of Defense (DoD) Medical Research Program (2010-2015) Chair, Steering Committee, NIH Antibody Interest Group (2010-present) NIH Merit Award (2014); NCI Director’s Award (2017) PI or co-PI of NCI FLEX Technology Development and Program Awards (2015-2019) Co-Chair, NIH Stadtman Molecular Biology/Biochemistry Search Committee (2017-2018) NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR) Innovation Award (2017) NIH APAO Scientific Achievement Award (2017) Editor-in-Chief, Antibody Therapeutics (Oxford University Press) (2018-present) Member, Board of the Directors, the Antibody Society (2019-present)
BAOHUA LIU, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor Department of Biology University of Toronto at Mississauga Toronto, Canada
Education: 2005 - 2010 Ph.D., Physiology and Biophysics University of Southern California – Los Angeles, California, USA 1999 - 2002 M.S., Biophysics, Nankai University – Tianjin, China 1995 - 1999 B.S., Applied Physics, Nankai University – Tianjin, China
Positions: 2018 – Present Assistant Professor, Department of Biology. University of Toronto Mississauga 2011 - 2017 Postdoctoral Fellow, Mentor: Dr. Massimo Scanziani, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco (previously Uni. of California, San Diego) Research topic: Cortical mechanism controlling innate behaviors 2005 - 2010 Graduate Research Assistant, Mentors: Drs. Huizhong Tao and Li Zhang Department of Cell & Neurobiology and Department of Physiology & Biophysics University of Southern California Ph.D. Thesis: Cortical synaptic circuitry underlying visual processing in the primary visual cortex 1999 – 2002 Research Assistant Mentor: Wenxiu Yang Department of Biophysics, School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China M.S. Thesis: Cell signaling pathways underlying therapeutic effects of ingredients in Chinese herbal medicine
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Research Interest (Selected Publications) 1. Sun, Y.J., Liu, B.H., Tao, H.W. & Zhang, L.I. (2019) Selective Strengthening of Intracortical Excitatory Input Leads to Receptive Field Refinement during Auditory Cortical Development. J. Neurosci. 39:1195- 1205. 2. Liu, B.H., Huberman A.D. & Scanziani M. (2016) Cortico-fugal output from visual cortex promotes plasticity of innate motor behavior. Nature 538:383-387. 3. Li, Y.T., Liu, B.H., Chou, X.L., Zhang, L.I. & Tao, H.W. (2015) Synaptic Basis for Differential Orientation Selectivity between Complex and Simple Cells in Mouse Visual Cortex. J. Neurosci. 35:11081-93. 4. Li, Y.T., Ibrahim, L.A., Liu, B.H., Zhang, L.I. & Tao, H.W. (2013) Linear transformation of thalamocortical input by intracortical excitation. Nat Neurosci. 16:1324-30. 5. Liu, B.H., Li, Y.T., Ma, W.P., Pan, C.J., Zhang, L.I. & Tao, H.W. (2011) Broad Inhibition Sharpens Orientation Selectivity by Expanding Dynamic Range in Mouse Simple Cells. Neuron 71:542–554. 6. Ma, W.P.*, Liu, B.H.*, Li, Y.T., Huang, Z.J., Zhang, L.I. & Tao, H.W. (2010) Visual representations by cortical somatostatin inhibitory neurons—selective but with weak and delayed responses. J. Neurosci. 30:14371–14379. (* equal contribution) 7. Zhou, Y., Liu, B.H., Wu, G.K., Kim, Y.J., Xiao, Z., Tao, H.W. & Zhang, L.I. (2010) Preceding inhibition silences layer 6 neurons in auditory cortex. Neuron 65:706–717. 8. Liu, B.H., Li, P., Sun, Y.J., Li, Y.T., Zhang, L.I. & Tao, H.W. (2010) Intervening inhibition underlies simple- cell receptive field structure in visual cortex. Nat. Neurosci. 13:89–96. 9. Liu, B.H., Li, P., Li, Y.T., Sun, Y.J., Yanagawa, Y., Obata, K., Zhang, L.I. & Tao, H.W. (2009) Visual receptive field structure of cortical inhibitory neurons revealed by two-photon imaging guided recording. J. Neurosci. 29:10520–10532. 10. Liu, B.H., Wu, G.K., Arbuckle, R., Tao, H.W. & Zhang, L.I. (2007) Defining cortical frequency tuning with recurrent excitatory circuitry. Nat. Neurosci. 10:1594–1600.
Service to SCBA: 2018 – present Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (SCBA)
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA services: CFI/ORF, NSERC-Discovery, NSERC-Supplement, RSAF, Connaught New Researcher Award 2007 - present Society for Neuroscience (SFN) 2019 - present Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN)
BURTON B. YANG, Ph.D.
Current Position: Senior Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Education: 1978-1982 B.Sc. Dept of Plant Pathology, South China Agricultural University 1982-1985 M.Sc. Dept of Plant Pathology, South China Agricultural University 1988-1991 Ph.D. Dept of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba 1985-1987 Guangdong Institute for Microbiology 1991-1993 Postdoctoral Fellow, Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology (supervisor: Dr. E. Turley)
21 1993-1995 Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School (supervisor: Dr. P. F. Goetinck)
Positions: 1995 –2005 Scientist, Trauma Research Program, Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto 1996 –1998 Associate Member, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto 1996 –2001 Assistant Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto 2001 –2007 Associate Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. 2005 – present Senior Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre 2007 – present Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Cross appointment Professor, Institute of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
Research Interest: Cancer and cardiovascular research 157 research articles and 19 reviews H-Index 63; Total citation, over 12,000 (by Google Scholar search)
Service to SCBA: 2008-2009 President, SCBA Toronto Chapter 2003-present Member, Executive Committee, SCBA Toronto Chapter 2001-present Life member, SCBA
Selected Honors and Awards, and non-SCBA services: 1992-1993 Fellowship from Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba 1993-1994 Postdoctoral Fellowship from Manitoba Health Research Council 1994-1995 Postdoctoral Fellowship from Medical Research Council of Canada 1997-2001 Scholarship from Arthritis Society of Canada 2000-2005 Premier’s Research Excellence Award 2001-2006 Arthritis Society of Canada New Investigator Award 2001-2006 Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award 2006-2011 CIHR-Ontario Women’s Health Council/ IGH Mid-Career Award 2006-2011 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Career Investigator Award 2012-2017 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Career Investigator
FENG YANG, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Education: B.S., Biochemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China Ph. D., Molecular Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
22 Postdoc, CARB, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD Postdoc, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Previous Positions: 2007-2009 Instructor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Research Interest: Yang laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular basis of cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, and development of therapy-resistance. We are specifically interested in the following research areas. 1, MAPK4 signaling pathway and function in human cancers. 2. Targeting GATA2 stability to inhibit prostate cancer progression and therapy-resistance. 3. Developing novel mouse models for human cancers. 4. Tumor microenvironment regulation of prostate cancer, and 5. FGFR1 signaling in human cancers. Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1zin7WdmlzV5Z/bibliography/47354287/public/?sort=date&direct ion=descending
Service to SCBA: • Treasure of SCBA TX Chapter, 2016 – 2017 • Organizing Committee, Annual Symposium, Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America, Texas Chapter, 2017 • Continuously serves SCBA TX Chapter as needed.
Yuan Zhu, Ph.D. Current Position Scientific Director and Gilbert Family Endowed Professor The Gilbert Family Neurofibromatosis Institute Associate Director, Center for Cancer and Immunology Research Children's National Medical Center at Washington, DC Professor of Pediatrics, George Washington University
Education and Training 1987-1991: B.S., Biochemistry. Fudan University, Shanghai, China 1991-1994: Graduate Student, Biochemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China 1994-2000: Ph.D., Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 2000-2002: Postdoctoral fellow, Cancer Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Academic Appointments 2002 – 2003: Instructor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas 2003 – 2010: Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 2010 – 2013: Associate Professor with tenure, Departments of Internal Medicine and Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 2013 - Scientific Director and Gilbert Family Endowed Professor of Neurofibromatosis Research, the Gilbert Family Neurofibromatosis Institute, Associate Director, Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC; Professor with tenure, Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University, Washington, DC
23 Research Interests We employ mouse genetics to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying initiation and progression of tumors in both central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.
Past service to SCBA From 2017 to 2018, I served as the president of the Neuroscience Division of the SCBA. I organized the annual social event at 2017 and 2018 Annual Conference of Society for Neuroscience. Each of these two social events hosted ~400 attendees to have opportunities to interact with guest distinguished Chinese neuroscientists and colleagues.
Honors and Awards 2001, 2003: “Scholars in Training Award” from American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Inc. (Philadelphia) 2001-2003: “Young Investigator Award” from National Neurofibromatosis Foundation Inc. 2003: Biological Sciences Scholars Program (BSSP) Scholar, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 2004: General Motors Cancer Research Scholars Program Scholar, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation 2006: Paul Daniel Bogart Leadership Chair of Research, Brain Tumor Society 2006: American Cancer Society (ACS) Research Scholar, American Cancer Society 2014: Gilbert Family Endowed Professorship of Neurofibromatosis Research 2014: Co-Chair, Annual Conference of Children’s Tumor Foundation
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