[Mar. 27] D5 Seminar- Dr. Xin Sun (University of California, San Diego)

February 14 2024

The "D5 Medical & Life Science Seminar" course will be offered by International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS). It will run from May 2023 to March 2024, with lectures given by scientists who are affiliated with IRCMS or in collaboration with researchers at IRCMS. The lectures will be given once a month, in English, and by leading scientists in the relevant research field. Students will be taught: 1) how normal physiological functions are maintained in the human body; 2) how these systems become abnormal under certain pathophysiologic conditions; 3) why stem cells are important in animal development and homeostasis; 4) how stem cell-based approaches can help us understand disease mechanisms and find potential cure for diseases related to stem cell malfunction (e.g., cancer, aging).

Anyone who wants to join is welcome.
For students who have registered for the course, please check your attendance in Moodle.

Date      : March 27th, 2024 (Wednesday)
               

Format  : Hybrid

Time      : 16:00 - 17:00 (JST)
               

Speaker : Dr. Xin Sun (University of California, San Diego)
               

Title       : Building and Rebuilding the Lung

Abstract  :

Our lab studies fundamental mechanisms of tissue formation, maintenance, function/dysfunction, regeneration/degeneration. We delineate the robust programs that dictate normal biology, and uncover the imperfections that initiate pathogenesis. At the center of our investigation is the lung, an organ that is vital for survival at first breath. It is the setting for many fetal, pediatric, and adult diseases that have little explanation and no cure. We use disease modeling as a starting point to make basic science discoveries in developmental biology, stem cell biology, lung-immune-neural circuit interactions.

2-3 major papers:

1. Sui P, Wiesner DL, Xu J, Zhang Y, Lee J, Van Dyken S, Lashua A, Yu C, Klein BS, Locksley RM, Deutsch G, Sun X. Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells amplify allergic asthma responses. Science. 2018 8;360(6393). pii: eaan8546.
2. Li R, Li XP, Hagood J, Zhu MS and Sun, X. Myofibroblast Contraction is Essential for Generating and Regenerating the Gas-Exchange Surface. J Clin Invest. 2020 Jun 1;130(6):2859-2871. doi: 10.1172/JCI132189. PMID: 32338642; PMCID: PMC7260039
3. Young RE, Jones MK, Hines EA, Li R, Luo Y, Shi W, Verheyden JV and Sun, X. Airway Smooth Muscle Differentiation is Essential for Promoting Airway Size, Tracheal Cartilage Segmentation, But Dispensable for Epithelial Branching. Dev Cell. 2020 Apr 6;53(1):73-85.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.02.001. Epub 2020 Mar 5. PMID: 32142630

Flyer: (Click to enlarge)