Stefan A. Muljo, Ph.D.

Tenure-Track Investigator, Integrative Immunobiology Unit NIAID, National Institutes of Health

Education:

1994 B.A., Biology Honors Program

Johns Hopkins University, School of Arts and Sciences

1995 M.H.S., Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Johns Hopkins University, School of Public Health

2002 Ph.D., Molecular Biology and Genetics, Graduate Program in Immunology

Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

Employment:

2002 Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher

Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California

2003-2008 Postdoctoral Research Fellow

CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Pathology

2008-present Tenure-Track Investigator

LI, Integrative Immunobiology Unit, NIAID, National Institutes of Health

Topic: Roles of Lin28b and microRNAs in (re)programming lymphocyte differentiation

Abstract:

The Integrative Immunobiology Unit is generally enamored by the RNA world. Specifically, we aim to elucidate the roles of novel non-coding RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in the control of lymphocyte differentiation and function. One of our major goals is to decipher gene regulatory networks that orchestrate cell fate decisions in the hematopoietic and immune systems, since perturbations in their genetic programming underlie many diseases including cancer, immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, allergy and infectious diseases. For tractable model systems, we analyze B cell development and CD4+ T helper cell differentiation since much is already known about their core transcriptional programs and signaling pathways. However, relatively little is known about post-transcriptional control of gene expression and the roles of non-coding RNAs in these systems. Thus, we pay special attention to novel regulatory RNAs and RBPs that may play an important role in the immune system, and employ an integrative systems biology approach to reverse engineer the molecular logic of gene expression programming.

Venue: Room143, New Biology Building, THU

Time: Mar. 11 (Monday), 2013; 16:30

Host: Prof. Li Yu