Research Interests:
Research in Dr. Feng’s lab is centered on two major areas. One focus is the dissection of molecular signaling mechanism in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Previous work in this lab has led to the identification of a crucial role for Shp2, an SH2-containing cytoplasmic tyrosine phosphatase, in promoting differentiation of ESCs. Current work is focused on understanding how Shp2 modulates signaling pathways for the determination of stem cell self-renewal versus differentiation using both mouse and human ESCs. This group is also investigating the molecular signals in directing the commitment, maintenance and differentiation of adult stem cells, such as neural stem cells (NSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), using cell type-specific gene knockout mouse models created in the lab.
The second focus is on the molecular basis for metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Recent results obtained by this lab lead to fresh views on leptin signaling in the hypothalamus for control of energy balance and hepatic insulin signaling for glucose homeostasis, through generation and characterization of mice deficient for Shp2 in the brain or Gab1 in the liver. Current efforts are devoted to understanding the mechanisms of leptin resistance in obese mouse models/human subjects and of insulin resistance in type II diabetes, using combined genetic/biochemical approaches. The long-term goal of this work is to identify novel pharmaceutical targets for treatment of obesity/diabetes, the disease of the 21st century.
Track(s):
Molecular Pathology
BMS Focus Areas:
Endocrinology
Cancer Biology
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