Professional Activities:

2011-Present Assistant Professor, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
•Investigate the mechanisms of PRMT6 as both a transcriptional activator and a repressor.
Identify p54nrb as one of CARM1 substrates and investigate how methylated p54nrb alters nuclear retention of mRNAs with 3’-UTR IRAlus.
Screen arginine demethylase.
Characterize and develop CARM1 specific inhibitors for potential prostate cancer treatment.
Develop and generate xenograft prostate cancer model and transgenic mice.

2007-Present Instructor, Supervisor: Dr. Mark Bedford, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Identify and characterize PRMT6 complex.
Study how novel modifications of PRMT6 impact on chromatin function.
•Characterize CAS3, a prominent substrate for CARM1.
Identify xenoestrogens as regulators on the activity of arginine methyltransferases.
Identify small molecule regulators (activators or inhibitors) of epigenetic modification enzymes (especially CARM1 and PRMT6).

2004-2007 Research Scientist, Mentor: Dr. Mark Bedford, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Discovered novel synthetic histone/protein methyltransferase inhibitors.
Identified protein methyltransferases substrates.
Studied the role of CARM1 in alternative splicing and identify CARM1-regulated alternative splicing genes.
Characterized PRMT3-deficient mice.
Identified CARM1 function as a PPARγ coactivator.

2001-2004 Post-Doctoral fellow, Mentor: Dr. Mark Bedford, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Identified the first small molecule inhibitor of protein arginine methyltransferase.
Developed a novel method for identifying protein methyltransferase substrates using in vitro transcription/translation system.

1997-/2001 Graduate Research Assistant, Ph.D. Advisor: Prof. Qi-Zhuang Ye
National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Cloning, purification, expression, and characterization of Gelatinase A, B, human macrophage elastase (MMP-12), and MMP-23 for lead compounds screening.
• HTS Based Anti-cancer Inhibitors Discovery: MMPs are potential targets for developing anti-cancer drugs.

1994-1997 Graduate Research Assistant, M.S Advisor: Prof. XiCan Tang
Department of Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Comparative studies of huperzine A, E2020 (donepezil) and tacrine on cholinesterase and memory impairments in rats.
Identified one of huperzine A derivatives ZT-1, a novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Debio 9902 (formerly ZT-1) is being conducted in phase II clinical trial in Europe and in China.

1990-1994 Research investigator, Supervisor: Prof. Yushu Feng
Department of Pharmacology, Liaoning Institute of Materia Medica, Shenyang, China.
Characterized and developed new Chinese medicines.
Pharmacological and toxicological studies of Chinese medicines on animals.

HONORS AND AWARDS
2006 Performance Reward, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
1997 The first JIU-YUAN scholarship from “JIA-ZHEN TAN Life Science Foundation” for Outstanding Graduate Students, China.
1997 “DIAO” Scholarship for Outstanding Graduate Students, China.
1994-5 Director Scholarship for Outstanding Graduate Student, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, China.
1992-3 Excellent Junior Faculty Member Award, Liaoning Institute of Materia Medica.
1990 Excellent Undergraduate Thesis Award at Liaoning University, China.
1988 Outstanding undergraduate student scholarship, Liaoning University, China.

TEHACHING AND MENTORING
2013 Mentoring undergraduate student Sujin Kim, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
2008 Mentoring undergraduate student Dongil Kim, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
2007 Mentoring undergraduate student Miranda Hodgkiss, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
2005 Mentoring Ph.D. rotation student Aimee Lake, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
2004 Mentoring undergraduate student Joel Stonedale, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
2002 Mentoring undergraduate student Jolene Yang, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
1997 Mentoring Ph.D. rotation student Jingya Li, National Center for Drug Screening, China.
1996 Mentoring undergraduate student Huihong Hu, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, China.
1996 Mentoring undergraduate student Hua Ren, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, China.