MMRI Welcomes New Faculty Member from UCSD with Laboratory Focused on Heart Development and Cardiovascular Medicine

MMRI Welcomes New Faculty Member from UCSD with Laboratory Focused on Heart Development and Cardiovascular Medicine
Tongbin, Wu, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical research and translational medicine

Dr. Tongbin Wu’s laboratory will research novel therapeutic targets and advance the development of treatments for left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC), a cardiac muscle disorder in which the lower left chamber of the heart does not develop correctly, also known as “spongy heart.” His work will also focus on studying dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart muscle disease that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood.

“My work is dedicated to mapping the intricate web of factors that control the types of proteins that are produced in the heart, which is then used to create targets for therapeutics for when the heart is affected by disease,” said Dr. Wu. “I’m excited to join the collaborative environment here at MMRI and to continue my important research.”

Dr. Wu completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology at Wuhan University, Wuhan, China, and his postdoctoral training in molecular cardiology at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), San Diego, California. While at UCSD, Dr. Wu’s work was published in highly regarded scientific journals including, Circulation, PNAS, Circulation Research, PLOS Genetics and Nature Structure and Molecular Biology.

“Dr. Wu’s laboratory will contribute tremendously to our growing endeavors,” said Dr. Kontaridis. “We are thrilled to welcome him to our organization.”

Meet Zizhen Liu, Ph.D., postdoctoral assistant for Dr. Wu’s laboratory

MMRI welcomes Dr. Zizhen Liu to Dr. Wu’s laboratory. Dr. Liu’s focus is post-transcriptional regulation of heart development and diseases.

Dr. Liu received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Peking University, Beijing, China, and her bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical science from Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.

“I look forward to the opportunity for professional growth and development,” said Dr. Liu. “I’m also excited about the chance to learn from my new colleagues, take on new challenges and improve my skills.”

Visit www.mmri.edu/wu-lab to learn more about their research.