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Research interests
Despite my graduate training as a biomedical engineer, I’m interested in deciphering the physiological roles of membrane-bound ion channels and lipid transporters. Currently I’m focusing on understanding the physiological functions of the newly discovered TMEM16 protein family, which is consisted of calcium-activated chloride channels and calcium-dependent phospholipid scramblases. TMEM16-mediated chloride transport and phospholipid scrambling are involved in many important cellular processes, and the members have already been linked to several devastating diseases, including cerebellar ataxia, muscular dystrophy and scott syndrome. My current long-term goal is to elucidate the molecular underpinnings how TMEM16 ion channels and lipid scramblases play a role in both nervous and peripheral systems, and especially how their cellular functions are implicated in human health and disease.