# positions[].organizations[].parent[].label
Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine

# positions[].organizations[].parent[].label
Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine

# overview
I obtained my Ph.D. with a major in Bioinorganic Chemistry, focusing on metallodrugs against cancer and Alzheimer's disease (AD). After then, I worked at the Institute of Biosciences & Technology (IBT), Texas A&M University (TMAU) as a postdoc and research scientist dissecting and regulating Calcium Signaling by biochemistry, cell biology, and synthetic biology strategies. I accumulated strong research expertise on Ca2+ signaling in the immune system from mechanistic dissection of SOCE channels to tailoring cell functions using optical and chemical tools. I was promoted as a Research Assistant Professor in Oct 2020 to pursue my independent research program with interests in (i) Design and screening of Ca2+ channel modulators (compounds & peptide/protein drugs) to treat channelopathy or improve T cell immunotherapy; (ii) Delineate novel regulatory mechanisms of Ca2+ signaling in health and disease; (iii) Devise optogenetic, chemical and synthetic biology tools for translational research and biomedical applications. I have been engaged in the interface between chemistry and biology for almost 15 years, with specific training and expertise in Ca2+ imaging, protein engineering, protein chemistry, cell biology, and immunotherapy. So far, I have published 20+ publications as a lead author or corresponding author in well-respected journals, including Nature Communications, JACS, Angew Chem, Advanced Science, Chemical Science, eLife, and PLOS Biology with citations > 2000 times.

My current research interests:

1. Design and screening of CRAC Ca2+ channel modulators including small molecules, peptide/protein drugs, and antibody/nanobody to treat Channelopathy or improve T cell-based immunotherapy.

2. Delineate the regulatory network of the CRAC channel in healthy and diseased states

3. Devising optogenetic, chemical, and synthetic biology tools for precise control of cellular physiology

# keywords[]
Calcium Release-activated Calcium (crac) Channel

# keywords[]
Calcium Release Activated Calcium Channels

# keywords[]
1.1 Normal Biological Development And Functioning

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
Calcium Release Activated Calcium Channels

# keywords[]
Calcium Release Activated Calcium Channels

# keywords[]
Calcium Release-activated Calcium (crac) Channel

# keywords[]
Intracellular Signaling Peptides And Proteins

# keywords[]
1.1 Normal Biological Development And Functioning

# keywords[]
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, Alpha Subunit

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Liaocheng University - (Liaocheng, China)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of Science and Technology of China - (Hefei, China)

# publications[].label
Engineered Split-TET2 Enzyme for Inducible Epigenetic Remodeling.

# publications[].label
Optical control of membrane tethering and interorganellar communication at nanoscales.

# publications[].label
Near-infrared photoactivatable control of Ca2+ signaling and optogenetic immunomodulation

# publications[].label
The STIM-Orai Pathway: Light-Operated Ca2+ Entry Through Engineered CRAC Channels.

# publications[].label
Interaction between platinum complexes and the C-terminal motif of human copper transporter 1.

# publications[].label
Inside-out Ca(2+) signalling prompted by STIM1 conformational switch.

# publications[].label
Genetically encoded tags for real time dissection of protein assembly in living cells.

# publications[].label
Concise total synthesis of (+/-)-salinosporamide A, (+/-)-cinnabaramide A, and derivatives via a bis-cyclization process: implications for a biosynthetic pathway?

# publications[].label
Near-infrared photoactivatable control of Ca(2+) signaling and optogenetic immunomodulation.

# publications[].label
Calcium sensing by the STIM1 ER-luminal domain.

# publications[].label
Thioether binding mediates monofunctional platinum antitumor reagents to trans configuration in DNA interactions.

# publications[].label
Proteomic mapping of ER-PM junctions identifies STIMATE as a regulator of Ca influx.

# publications[].label
Engineering of a bona fide light-operated calcium channel.

# publications[].label
Engineered Cross-Linking to Study the Pore Architecture of the CRAC Channel.

# publications[].label
Global Polarization of  and  Hyperons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200GeV.

# publications[].label
Conserved residues that modulate protein trans-splicing of Npu DnaE split intein.

# publications[].label
A STIMulating journey into optogenetic engineering.

# publications[].label
Optogenetic toolkit for precise control of calcium signaling.

# publications[].label
Shedding light on ORAI1 channel with genetic code expansion.

# publications[].label
PtCl2(phen) disrupts the metal ions binding to amyloid- peptide.

# publications[].label
TRIM59 promotes breast cancer motility by suppressing p62-selective autophagic degradation of PDCD10.

# publications[].label
An Potogenentic Toolkit for Reversible Labeling and Remote Manipulation of Cytoskeleton In Situ

# publications[].label
Molecular mechanisms underlying inhibition of STIM1-Orai1-mediated Ca2+ entry induced by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate.

# publications[].label
The reaction of a platinated methionine motif of CTR1 with cysteine and histidine is dependent upon the type of precursor platinum complex.

# publications[].label
Calcium store refilling and STIM activation in STIM- and Orai-deficient cell lines.

# publications[].label
Platinum transfer from hCTR1 to Atox1 is dependent on the type of platinum complex.

# publications[].label
An apical Phe-His pair defines the Orai1-coupling site and its occlusion within STIM1.

# publications[].label
Identification of molecular determinants that govern distinct STIM2 activation dynamics.

# publications[].label
Identification of a STIM1 Splicing Variant that Promotes Glioblastoma Growth.

# publications[].label
Optogenetic Control of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels.

# publications[].label
Proteomic Mapping and Optogenetic Control of ER-PM Junctions in Living Cells

# publications[].label
Let there be light: a bright future for Ca2+ signaling.

# publications[].label
Digitoxin Suppresses Store Operated Calcium Entry by Modulating Phosphorylation and the Pore Region of Orai1.

# publications[].label
Combating the drug resistance of cisplatin using a platinum prodrug based delivery system.

# publications[].label
STIM1 Function Is Controlled by Multiple Ca2+ Binding Sites in its Luminal Domain

# publications[].label
Molecular Determinants for STIM1 Activation During Store- Operated Ca2+ Entry.

# publications[].label
Optical Control of CRAC Channels Using Photoswitchable Azopyrazoles.

# publications[].label
Near-Infrared Photoactivatable Control of Calcium Signaling

# publications[].label
Caffeine-Operated Synthetic Modules for Chemogenetic Control of Protein Activities by Life Style.

# publications[].label
Optogenetic Dissection of STIM1 Conformational Switch and Oligomerization

# publications[].label
The LINK-A lncRNA interacts with PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 tohyperactivate AKTand confer resistance to AKTinhibitors.

# publications[].label
Identification of [PtCl2(phen)] binding modes in amyloid- peptide and the mechanism of aggregation inhibition.

# publications[].label
Optogenetic engineering to probe the molecular choreography of STIM1-mediated cell signaling.

# publications[].label
Probing the Substrate Requirements of the InVitro Geranylation Activity of Selenouridine Synthase (SelU).

# publications[].label
A key amino acid in STIM1 mediates coupling to gate the Orai1 channel

# publications[].label
Cuprous binding promotes interaction of copper transport protein hCTR1 with cell membranes.

# publications[].label
The LINK-A lncRNA activates normoxic HIF1 signalling in triple-negative breast cancer.

# publications[].label
Comparison of transverse single-spin asymmetries for forward pi(0) production in polarized pp, pAl and pAu collisions at nucleon pair c.m. energy root s(NN)=200 GeV

# publications[].label
Synthesis of a ratiometric fluorescent peptide sensor for the highly selective detection of Cd2+.

# organizations[]
Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine

# schools[]
Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine