Biography
Born and Educated in Taipei, Taiwan; Received MS and PhD in Molecular Genetics from the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; Received postdoctoral training and worked as a Research faculty member at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutes; Tenured Associate Professor at UNM SOM since 2006.
Areas of Specialty
- Molecular Genetics
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Education
Dr. Hu received an MS (1991) and PhD (1993) in molecular genetics from The Ohio State University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in human molecular genetics in 1997 at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He served on the research faculty at McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine until he joined UNM in 2001.
Research
Dr. Hu’s team has recently demonstrated that ApoL6 is an important factor regulating mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, Beclin 1-dependent autophagy and inflammation.
In this RO1 project, the group uses the unique cell models they recently developed to determine the mechanism by which si-APOL6 and nifedipine, a Ca++ channel antagonist, block apoptosis, enhance autophagic survival mechanism and regress inflammatory response.
Courses Taught
Biomedical 515, Biochemistry 495, Biochemistry 497, Biochemistry 498, Biochemistry 499, Biochemistry 463, biochemistry 464, Biochemistry 448L
Research and Scholarship
Research and Teaching on Human Disease mechanisms.