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EDUCATION 1999-2002 Ph.D. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, China 1996-1999 M.S. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Suzhou University, China 1988-1993 B.S. (M.D.) Public Health, Jiangxi Medical College, China
EMPLOYMENTS 2017-Present Professor, Shanghai Cancer Center and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, China 2009-2016 Professor, Basic Medical College and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, China 2006-2009 Associate Professor, Basic Medical College and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, China 2003-2006 Postdoctoral Researcher, Prof. Hong Wu’s Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA UCLA 2002-2003 Postdoctoral Researcher, Prof. Robert H Lane’s Laboratory, Department of Pediatric, School of Medicine, U.S.A
KEY RESEARCH ACHIVEMENT Prof. Lei’s study focuses on exploring cell metabolism and its dysregulation in cancer development. Her research work finds that post translational modifications of critical metabolic enzymes, like acetylation of M2 Isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) in glycolysis, ATP- citrate lyase (ACLY) in lipid Biosynthesis, methionine adenosyltransferase IIα (MAT IIα) in the methionine cycle, and others, regulate enzymatic activity and protein stability under different metabolic stress and play essential role in tumor development. Moreover, her work reveals that arginine at different metabolic enzymes, including malate dehydrogenase 1 (MDH1), SIRT7 as well as GAPDH is critical to sense various nutrient/metabolites flux to regulate physiological or pathological processes, like mitochondria biogenesis, redox homeostasis. Notably, Prof. Lei’s et al identified that LDHA functions as ROS sensor and moves into nucleus, followed by obtaining non-canonical enzymatic activity to produce α-hydroxybutyrate and epigenetically activate expression of antioxidant response genes in HPV-induced cancers. Furthermore, her recent study deciphers the BCAA-BCAT2 catabolism drives PDAC development, which significantly impeded by using BCAT2 inhibitor or BCAA restriction in animal model. Altogether, these studies broaden our understanding on metabolite/nutrition sensing and their critical role in tumor initiation and progression, and enable us to design precision therapy by targeting metabolic vulnerability specifically rewired in cancers.
WORK FOR PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES 2014-Present Committee of Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB) 2014-Present Committee of Chinese Society for Cell Biology (CSCB), 2015-Present Associate Director of Chinese Society of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, CSBMB 2015-Present Associate Director and Secretary General of Shanghai Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018-Present Director of Chinese Society for cell metabolism, CSCB
Research Focus: 1. Nutrition/metabolite sensing and cell metabolism; 2. Metabolic plasticity in cancer cells; 3. Tumor metabolism and tumor microenvironment.
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