CV – Professor Renjie Chai
Qualifications:
B. Sci. , 2004 (USTC, China), PhD. (Baylor University, USA) 2009.
Career:
5/09 – 8/13 Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, U.S.
8/13 – Professor, Institute of Life Sciences, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Awards/Prizes/Distinctions
2014 Outstanding Young Scientist Award, Jiangsu Province
2013 Outstanding Young Teacher Award, Southeast University
2012 Exceptional Poster Award, 3nd Research Symposium, Dept. of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine.
2012 Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Award for 35th Annual ARO meeting
2011 Exceptional Poster Award, 2nd Research Symposium, Dept. of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine.
2011 Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Award for 34th Annual ARO meeting
2010 Dean’s Fellowship, Stanford University, School of Medicine
2008 Exceptional Poster Award, 6th Students Symposium of Baylor University
1999 The first prize in the national Olympics Contest of the Chemistry for high school students
Professional Activities:
(a) Membership of Professional Societies:
2009- Member of ISSCR (International Society for Stem Cell Research)
2009- Member of ARO (Association for Research in Otolaryngology)
(b) Professional (Editing/Refereeing) Service: Adhoc reviewer: J Assoc Res Otolaryngol, Plos One, J Vis Exp
(c) Conference and Symposia
Conference Presentation
R.J. Chai, B. Kuo, T. Jan, E. Liaw, T. Wang, A. Xia, R. Nusse, J. Zuo, A. Cheng. Wnt Signaling Regulates Cell Fate of Lgr5+ve Hair Cell Precursors in the Postnatal Mouse Cochlea. The Association for Research in Otolaryngology 35th Annual Meeting at San Deigo, Feb 25-29,2012
R.J. Chai, L. Tong, B. Cox, K. Chalasani, T. Wang, A. Xue, V. Nookala, G.Huang, X. Pham, J. Zuo, E. Rubel, A. Cheng. Lineage tracing reveals supporting cells contributing to hair cell regeneration in the neonatal mouse cochlea in vivo The Association for Research in Otolaryngology 36th Annual Meeting at Baltimore, Feb 16-20,2013
Research Interests:
My research focuses on defining the roles of the Wnt Signaling pathway in regulating inner ear stem cells, and the role of the Nano-material graphene in promoting the neuro stem cell differentiation and hair cell regeneration, with the long-term goal to regulate the inner ear stem cell to regenerate the functional hair cell and spiral ganglia neuron and eventually cure hearing loss.
Research Publication since 2009:
S. Sun, M. Sun, Y. Zhang, C. Cheng, M. Waqas, H. Yu, Y. He, B. Xu, S. Yin, R.J. Chai*(Co-Corresponding Author), H. Li*. In vivo overexpression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein protects against neomycin-induced hair cell loss in the apical turn of the cochlea during the ototoxic-sensitive period. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, published: 15 September 2014 doi: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00248
B.Cox, R.J. Chai(Co-First Author), A. Lenoir, Z. Liu, L. Zhang, K. Steigelman, J. Fang, R. Palmiter, E. Rubel, A.G. Cheng*, J. Zuo*. Spontaneous hair cell regeneration in the neonatal mouse cochlea in vivo. Development, 141(4):816-29. doi:10.1242/dev.103036. 2014
T.A. Jan, R.J. Chai(Co-First Author), Z. Sayyid, R. van Amerongen, A. Xia, T. Wang T, S.T. Sinkkonen, J.R. Levin, Y. Zheng, S. Heller, R. Nusse*, A.G. Cheng*. Tympanic border cells are Wnt- responsive and act as progenitors for postnatal mouse cochlear cells. Development 140, 1196-1206, doi:10.1242/dev.087528. 2013
R.J. Chai, B. Kuo, T. Wang, E. J. Liaw, A. Xia, T. A. Jan, Z. Liu, M. M. Taketod, J. S. Oghalaia, R. Nussec, J. Zuo, and A. G. Cheng*. Wnt signaling induces proliferation of sensory precursors in the postnatal mouse cochlea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109(21):8167-72. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1202774109. 2012 May 22
R.J. Chai, A. Xia, T. Jan, T. Hayashi, O. Bermingham-McDonogh, A.G. Cheng*. Dynamic expression of Lgr5, a Wnt target gene, in the developing and mature mouse inner ear. Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology; 12(4):455-69. PMCID: PMC3123443. 2011 Aug
R.J. Chai, S.Y Chen, J.H. Ding, P. Grayburn*. Efficient, Glucose Responsive, and Islet-Specific Transgene Expression by a Modified Rat Insulin Promoter. Gene Therapy 16, 1202–1209 PMCID: PMC2762485. 2009
Y. He, H. Yu, C. Cai, S. Sun, H, R.J. Chai, H. Li* Inhibition of H3K4me2 Demethylation Protects Auditory Hair Cells from Neomycin-Induced Apoptosis. Molecular Neurobiology 2014 Aug 19.
D. Chang, R.J. Chai, R. DiMarco, S. Heilshorn, A.G. Cheng*. Protein-Engineered Hydrogel Encapsulation for 3D Culture of Murine Cochlea. Otology & Neurotology, 2014 Aug 8.
Q. Sang, J. Zhang, R. Feng, X. Wang ,Q. Li ,X. Zhao,Q. Xing,Q. Chen, J. Du,S. Sun, R.J. Chai,, L. Jin, L. He ,H. Li* ,L. Wang*. Ildr1b is essential for semicircular canal development, migration of the posterior lateral line primordium, and hearing ability in zebrafish: Implications for a role in the recessive hearing impairment DFNB42. Human Molecular Genetic. 2014 Jul 2. pii: ddu340
S. Sun, H. Yu, H. Mei, W. Ni, Y. Zhang, L. Guo, Y. He, Z. Xue, Y. Ni, J. Li, Y. Feng, Y. Chen, R. Shao, R.J. Chai, H. Li*. Inhibition of the Activation and Recruitment of Microglia-Like Cells Protects Against Neomycin-Induced Ototoxicity. Molecular Neurobiology 2014 May 1. PMID: 24781382
X. Gu, L. Guo, H. Ji, S. Sun, R.J. Chai, L. Wang, H. Li*. Genetic testing for sporadic hearing loss using targeted massively parallel sequencing identifies 10 novel mutations. Clinical Genetics 2014 May 22. doi: 10.1111/cge.12431
S. Volkenstein, K. Oshima, S. T. Sinkkonen, C. Corrales, S. Most, R.J. Chai, T. Jan, A.G. Cheng, S. Heller*. Transient, afferent input-dependent, postnatal niche for neural progenitor cells in the cochlear nucleus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 110(35):14456-61. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1307376110. 2013 Aug 27
A. Vu, J. Kim, M. Huth, L. Luk, R.J. Chai, A.J. Ricci, A. G. Cheng*. Integrity and regeneration of mechanotransduction machinery regulates aminoglycoside entry and sensory cell death Plos One, 8(1):e54794. PMCID:PMC3554584. 2013
S. T. Sinkkonen, R.J. Chai, T. Jan, R. D. Laske, A.G. Cheng, K. Oshima, S. Heller*. Intrinsic regenerative potential of murine cochlear supporting cells Scientific Report 1, 26;DOI:10.1038/srep00026. 2011
T. Jan, R.J. Chai, Z. Sayyid, A.G. Cheng*. Isolating LacZ-expressing cells from mouse inner ear tissues using flow cytometry. J Vis Exp, (58). 2011 Dec 23;
T. Wang, R.J. Chai(Co-First Author), G. Kim, .X. Pham, D. Nguyen, B. Kuo, L. May, E. Rubel, J. Zuo, L. Cunningham, A.G. Cheng*. Canonical Wnt signaling directs hair cell regeneration by facultative Lgr5+ progenitors. (Nature Communication, minor revision)
Research Grants
Ministry of Technology, Talented Young Scientist 973 Project
Chai (PI) ¥1,550,000 1/1/2015-12/31/2018
National Natural Science Foundation of China, General Project
Chai (PI) ¥730,000 10/1/2014-9/30/2018
Jiangsu Province Natural Science Foundation, Young Scientist Project
Chai (PI) ¥200,000 8/1/2014-7/31/2017
Jiangsu Province Outstanding Young Scientist Award,
Chai (PI) ¥150,000 1/1/2014-12/31/2016
Southeast University Outstanding Young Teacher Award,
Chai (PI) ¥150,000 10/1/2013-9/30/2016
Southeast University Startup Grant,
Chai (PI) ¥1,300,000 8/1/2013-10/31/2014
Contact:
Address: Institute of Life Sciences, Southeast University , Sipailou#2, Wenzheng Li Building, North R231,Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R.China, 210096
Phone: 18805193999,
E-mail: renjiec@seu.edu.cn
Website: http://ils.seu.edu.cn/assignment.asp?id=66