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Zhenzhi Tang, Ph.D.

Contact Information

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Biography

Professional Background

Feb 2014-Present Research Assistant Professor,
University of Rochester, Department of Neurology
Project advisor: Dr. Charles Thornton

July 2009-Jan 2014 Postdoctoral fellow,
University of Rochester, Department of Neurology
Project title: The pathological mechanism in myotonic dystrophy
Project advisor: Dr. Charles Thornton

July 2006-July 2009 Postdoctoral Research Associate,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of California, Los Angeles (HHMI at UCLA)
Project title: Molecular mechanism in regulating alternative splicing of Cav1.2 L-type voltage-gated calcium channel
Project advisor: Dr. Douglas Black

2001-June 2006 Ph.D. (January 2006)
National University of Singapore, Department of Physiology
Dissertation: Molecular and functional study of splice variations of the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel Cav1.2 ??-subunit
Supervisor: Dr. Tuck Wah Soong

1993 - 2000 Registered Pharmacist,
Xiamen Pharmaceutical Corporation,
Fujian, China

1993 B.Sc. (Hons)
Shanghai Medical University, China Department of Pharmacology

Research

My current study aims to investigate whether aberrant splicing in calcium signaling relevant genes may play roles in muscle wasting and weakness in Myotonic Dystrophy (DM) patients. I am also working on the projects to generate novel DM1 and DM2 transgenic mice expressing 440-CTG repeats and 1100-CCTG repeats in skeletal muscles. In addition, I am trying to generate a novel mouse model for the devastating motor neuron disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Credentials

Education

1993
BSc | China-Shanghai Medical Univ
Pharmacology

2006
PhD | Singapore-National Univ of Singapore
Physiology

Publications

Journal Articles

1/27/2021
Tanner MK, Tang Z, Thornton CA. "Targeted splice sequencing reveals RNA toxicity and therapeutic response in myotonic dystrophy." Nucleic acids research.. 2021 Jan 27; Epub 2021 Jan 27.

11/5/2020
Angelbello AJ, Benhamou RI, Rzuczek SG, Choudhary S, Tang Z, Chen JL, Roy M, Wang KW, Yildirim I, Jun AS, Thornton CA, Disney MD. "A Small Molecule that Binds an RNA Repeat Expansion Stimulates Its Decay via the Exosome Complex." Cell chemical biology.. 2020 Nov 5; Epub 2020 Nov 05.

4/29/2020
Ketley A, Wojciechowska M, Ghidelli-Disse S, Bamborough P, Ghosh TK, Morato ML, Sedehizadeh S, Malik NA, Tang Z, Powalowska P, Tanner M, Billeter-Clark R, Trueman RC, Geiszler PC, Agostini A, Othman O, Bösche M, Bantscheff M, Rüdiger M, Mossakowska DE, Drewry DH, Zuercher WJ, Thornton CA, Drewes G, Uings I, Hayes CJ, Brook JD. "CDK12 inhibition reduces abnormalities in cells from patients with myotonic dystrophy and in a mouse model." Science translational medicine.. 2020 Apr 29; 12(541)

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