BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

Baltimore Va Medical Center, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

AIMS: The goal of this application is to competitively renew Dr. Jian-Ying Wang’s Senior Research Career Scientist Award and to continuously support Dr. Wang’s VA research program. NOMINEE: Dr. Wang has held the position of Senior Research Career Scientist at Baltimore VA Medical Center (BVAMC) since 2011; and held a faculty position as professor (with tenure) at University of Maryland School of Medicine since 2002. Dr. Wang is widely acknowledged for his groundbreaking work identifying novel long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in the intestinal epithelium homeostasis under various pathophysiological conditions. Dr. Wang has published >190 peer-reviewed original research articles which have created ~11,000 total citations, and his research program has been continuously supported by VA Merit Review Awards and multiple National Institute of Health-R01 grants for more than twenty-eight years. Dr. Wang is a successful mentor/sponsor for VA Career Development Awards and acts as a co-investigator on several current VA sponsored research projects. RESEARCH: Studies in Dr. Wang’s laboratory define the fundamental mechanisms underlying injury-induced intestinal epithelial regeneration and gut permeability; as well as studying new and effective therapies to enhance repair of damaged mucosa and preserve the intestinal epithelial integrity in patients with critical illness. Dr. Wang’s research program addresses an important clinical issue that is highly relevant to VA healthcare. Intestinal mucosal inflammatory injury/erosions and delayed healing occur commonly in our Veteran population, such as patients who suffer from Crohn’s disease/ulcerative colitis, peptic/stress ulcers, and critical surgical disorders: trauma, sepsis, shock, and massive surgical operations. Persistently impaired integrity of the intestinal epithelium from diffusive mucosal injury/erosions and delayed healing leads to the translocation of luminal toxic substances and bacteria to the bloodstream and, in some instances, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and death. Effective therapies to preserve the integrity of the intestinal epithelium and enhance recovery of damaged mucosa are limited, because of poorly understood mechanisms underlying gut mucosal disruption. Dr. Wang’s group has applied state of the art molecular and RNA approaches to complex cell biological systems and human gut mucosal diseases. Approaches that examine specific lncRNAs and mRNAs including approaches focused on large-scale RNA analyses are regularly employed in his lab. Dr. Wang’s group has extensively applied tissue-specific gain-of-function transgenic and knockout approaches to generate various genetically modified animal models. These approaches and experience have provided Dr. Wang with an appreciation for the study mucosal tissue and cells directly and to move back and forth from human disease to model systems and to validate key findings in the human context. The overarching goals of Dr. Wang’s research program are to define cellular and molecular processes that govern gut mucosal protection, injury-induced epithelial regeneration, and barrier function; additionally studying lncRNAs and RBPs as novel therapeutic targets for intervention to improve mucosal repair after acute injury and to protect the gut barrier integrity in patients with critical illness. IMPACT: Dr. Wang’s research program elucidates novel roles of lncRNAs and RBPs in intestinal mucosal regeneration and adaptation and addresses an important health issue in our veteran healthcare. Dr. Wang’s work provides new insight to the development of improved therapeutics for treating patients with massive intestinal mucosal injury/erosions and gut barrier dysfunction. Dr. Wang also actively collaborates with a number of investigators in the BVAMC Research Service. His expertise and academic activity keep moving the BVAMC research program forward.