Research Junction Connecting Faculty Across Campus

 

1.     What is your educational background?

 

I obtained my Bachelor’s in Biotechnology from Guangxi University in Nanning, China, and a Ph.D. in Biology from Peking University in Beijing, China. Then, I moved to the USA to pursue postdoctoral studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

 

2.     Where is your hometown?

 

I am from Rongxian, a small county in the southeast of Guangxi, China, bordering the Guangdong province. Its population is approximately 700,000.

 

3.     Why did you choose MUSC?

 

MUSC has an excellent research environment that includes experts in basic and clinical sciences, core facilities, and shared resources, all of which provide strong support for my research.  Moreover, as the only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center in South Carolina, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center also provides opportunities for collaborative interactions among investigators, as well as funding support.

 

4.     What are your current research interests and how did you become interested in this field?

 

The major research focus of my laboratory is to understand how the deregulation of cell signaling pathways contributes to cancer progression, with the ultimate goal of identifying new targets for cancer therapy. We are particularly interested in the mTOR/Akt signaling pathway. Aberrant activation of the mTOR/Akt pathway is a hallmark of human diseases including metabolic disorders and cancers. Despite the significant progress that has been made to understand this pathway over the past several decades, our knowledge about the regulation and physiological function of the mTOR/Akt pathway is limited. Since posttranslational modifications (PTMs) are central events in cell signal transduction, we aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying how PTMs, including phosphorylation, methylation, and ubiquitination, control the activation of the mTOR/Akt pathway.

 

5.     What has been your biggest scientific contribution to date?

 

We have identified several mechanisms underlying how the mTOR/Akt signaling pathway is regulated. Most recently, we found that PRMT5-mediated Akt methylation promotes Akt kinase activity and its oncogenic function. These studies provide a molecular basis for targeting the Akt/mTOR pathway to combat cancers.

 

6.     Is there a scientific area/field you would like to know more about?

 

We are currently collaborating with Dr. Lauren Ball to identify PTMs by mass spectrometry and Dr. Michael Ostrowski to understand the regulation and role of Akt in breast cancer. Moreover, MUSC’s COBRE in Digestive and Liver Disease and the Digestive Disease Research Core Center provides a variety of resources on liver research. We are working with Dr. Stephen Duncan to extend our research using human iPSCs model.

 

7.     Would you like to connect with colleagues within a certain field? If so, what field/area?

 

Our studies mechanically demonstrate the contribution of the mTOR/Akt pathway in diseases, such as cancers. We are interested in connecting our basic research with clinical research and look forward to fruitful collaborations with colleagues.

 

8.     What are some of your hobbies? What do you do for fun?

 

I love to spend time with my son and wife in the pool and beach during the weekend. I also love to play badminton.

 

9.     What is your favorite movie, tv-show, food?

 

I am a fan of Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Will Smith. Chinese food is my favorite.

 

10.  Please share one interesting detail about yourself.

 

Play hide-and-seek or other games with my son after work.

 

11.  If you had a yacht, what would you name it?

 

I will think about it if it comes true someday in the future.

 

12.  Who would play you in a movie about your life?

 

I would love to get Will Smith.

 

13.  If you were not a scientist, you would be:

 

A chef. I enjoy cooking Chinese food.

 

14.  What are the top three activities on your bucket list?

 

I would like to visit Disney World, take a round-the-world trip, and have a farm.

 

15.  What’s the best advice you were ever given?

 

Be confident and be yourself.

 

Make a Connection

Drop Dr. Wenjian Gan an email at ganw@musc.edu