Adjunct Professor
Dr. Michael Pi is the Adjunct Professor of Department of Biological Science at at East-West University. He earned his M.D. in the Faculty of Medicine from Central South University in China, and Ph.D. in molecular biology from University of Otago in New Zealand. He did his postdoctoral training in Kansas University Medical Center. He was an Assistant Professor in Pharmacology at Toledo University Medical School and a Research fellow in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan. He has been teaching at East-West University since 2014. His research is in the field of Molecular biology, RNA interference, gene therapy and Neuroscience. His current interest is in Molecular biology and gene therapy.
He has experience teaching the following courses:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Genetic
- General Introductory Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Organic Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology
- Biology Seminar
- Biology Research
- Molecular Research Method
- Biology Capstone
Highlights
- Proficient technologies in siRNA design, gene knockdown, shRNA cloning, lentiviral particle package, RNAi-based in gene therapy, qRT-PCR, design of cDNA-specific probes, cDNA microarray, 96-wells gene superarray, cDNA cloning, dry-done PCR cloning, 5’Race cloning, targeting vector cloning,immunohistochemistry/fluorescence, Western blot, Southern Blot, RNase protection assay, B cell isolation, luminex (IL), primary cell culture, animal surgeries.
- Independent grant application experience in NIH R01 R03 grant.
- Writing and managing experience in animal UCUCA protocol.
- Profound experience in setup of a BSLII+ lab for lentiviral research.
- Software usage includes Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, imageJ, Statview, iCycler, luminex calculation, Lasergene, Primer express, short hairpin design.
- One US Patents at the University of Michigan, USPTO Applicaton #: #20140212444 - Class: 4241851 (USPTO) - 07/31/14 - Class 424 . Title: Compositions and methods for inducing an immune response.
- 2007 Travel award for Arthritis Foundation Research Conference at Atlanta, Geogia
- 2006 US NIH NRSA Award for 2 years.
- 2004 US NCBI certificate awarded to “Unmasking genes in Human DNA”
- 2000 Biomedical Research Award (Rov01322), Kansas Univ. Medical Center
- 1998 2nd prize, 4th annual poster night, Center for Gene Research, New Zealand
- 1993 UK Overseas Research Scholarship (ORS)
- 2000 Invited membership of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 2002-2004 Ad hoc reviewer for the “Endocrine” journal.
Conference Presentations
- May 22, 1997, oral presentation at 142nd Meeting of the Otago Medical Research Society, Dunedin, New Zealand. Presenting topic: Distribution of prolactin receptor in the brain of the estrogen-treated, ovariectomised rat.
- September 24, 1997, oral presentation at the University of Otago Graduate Conference, New Zealand. Presenting topic: Differential expression of the two forms of prolactin receptor mRNA within microdissected hypothalamic nuclei of the rat
- November 28-30, 1997, oral presentation at 4th New Zealand National Postgraduate Conference, Dunedin. Presenting topic: Increased expression of prolactin receptor immunoreactivity in the brain of lactating rats.
- August 29-September 2, 1998, oral presentation at 16th International Australasia Winter Conference on Brain Research, Queenstown, New Zealand. Presenting topic: Detection of the two forms of prolactin receptor in discrete hypothalamic nuclei of estrogen-treated, ovariectomized rats.
- November 7-12, 1998, poster presentation at 28th Annual Meeting Society of Neuroscience, Los Angeles. Presenting topic: Increased expression of prolactin receptor mRNA in the rat hypothalamus during lactation.
- November 4-9, 2000, poster presentation at 30th Annual Meeting Society of Neuroscience; New Orleans. Presenting topic: Mechanisms for lactation-induced alteration in expression of prolactin receptor in the hypothalamus.
- March, 2003, poster presentation at 5th Lake Area Pharmacological Annual Conference, Ohio, USA. Presenting topic: Prolonged changes in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II after a brief pentylenetetrazol seizure; potential role in kindling.
- November 11-15, 2006, poster presentation at the 70th Annual Meeting of American College of Rheumatology. Washington DC. Presenting topic: Sphingosine kinase 1 signaling pathway in the rheumatoid arthritis.
- April 21-22, 2007, poster presentation at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Arthritis Foundation. Atlanta. Presenting topic: Effects of sphingosine kinase 1 and 2 gene knockdown on the progression of mouse collagen-induced arthritis.
Publications
- Pi, X. & Chen, X. Captopril and ramiprilat protect against free radical injury in isolated working rat hearts. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 1989; 21:1261-71.
- Chen, X., Pi, X., Li, D. Y., Li, Y. J. & Deng, H. W. Prostacyclin-mediated cardioprotection of captopril and ramiprilate against lipid peroxidation in rat. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1989; 301:167-73.
- Ding, B. C., Gao, Z. Y., Wu, M., Pi, X. & Wang, H. Q. Comparison of effects of magnesium valproate and sodium valproate on the action potential of isolated papillary muscle from guinea pigs and dogs. J Tongji Med Univ. 1990; 10:248-52.
- Pi, X. & Chen, X. Effects of captopril on acute adriamycin cardiotoxicity. Journal of Central South University (Medical Sciences). 1994; 19:105-107. Journal link.
- Pi, X. & Chen, X. Effects of norepinephrine and phenylephrine on relaxation of aortic rings by GTN in rats. Journal of Central South University (Medical Sciences). 1995; 20:1-4. Journal link.
- Pi, X. & Grattan, D. R. Differential expression of the two forms of prolactin receptor mRNA within microdissected hypothalamic nuclei of the rat. Mol Brain Res. 1998; 59:1-12.
- Pi, X. & Grattan, D. R. Distribution of prolactin receptor immunoreactivity in the brain of estrogen-treated, ovariectomized rats. J Comp Neurol 1998; 394:462-74.
- Pi, X. & Grattan, D. R. Expression of prolactin receptor mRNA is increased in the preoptic area of lactating rats. 1999; 11:91-8.
- Pi, X. & Grattan, D. R. Increased expression of both short and long forms of prolactin receptor mRNA in hypothalamic nuclei of lactating rats. J Mol Endocrinol. 1999; 23:13-22.
- Pi, X. & Grattan, D. R. Increased prolactin receptor immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus of lactating rats. J Neuroendocrinol. 1999; 11:693-705.
- Pi, X. & Voogt, J. L. Effect of suckling on prolactin receptor immunoreactivity in the hypothalamus of the rat. 2000; 71:308-17.
- Pi, X. & Voogt, J. L. Mechanisms for suckling-induced changes in expression of prolactin receptor in the hypothalamus of the lactating rat. Brain Res. 2001; 891:197-205.
- Grattan, D. R., Pi, X., Andrews, Z. B., Augustine, R. A., Kokay, I. C., Summerfield, M. R., Todd, B. & Bunn, S. J. Prolactin receptors in the brain during pregnancy and lactation: implications for behavior. Horm Behav. 2001; 40:115-24.
- Pi, X., Voogt, J. L. & Grattan, D. R. Prolactin receptor mRNA was detected in the corpus striatum and substantia nigra. J Neurosci Res. 2002; 67:551-8.
- Pi, X. & Voogt, J. L. Sex difference and estrous cycle expression of prolactin receptor mRNA in rat brain. Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2002; 103:130-9.
- Pi, X., Zhang, B., Li, J. & Voogt, J. L. Promoter usage and estrogen regulation of prolactin receptor gene in the brain of the female rat. 2003; 77:187-97.
- Pi, X., Lee, J., Li, F. & Rosenberg, H. C. Decreased expression of brain cAMP response element-binding protein gene following pentylenetetrazol seizure. Mol Brain Res. 2004; 127:60-7.
- Pi, X., Tan, S. Y., Hayes, M., Xiao, L., Shayman, J. A., Ling, S. & Holoshitz, J. Sphingosine kinase 1-mediated inhibition of Fas death signaling in rheumatoid arthritis B lymphoblastoid cells. Arthritis Rheum. 2006; 54:754-64.
- Haas CS, Creighton CJ, Pi X, Maine I, Koch AE, Haines GK 3rd, Ling S, Chinnaiyan AM, Holoshitz J. Identification of genes modulated in rheumatoid arthritis using complementary DNA microarray analysis of lymphoblastoid B cell lines from disease-discordant monozygotic twins. Arthritis Rheum. 2006; 54(7):2047-2060.
- Tan S, Xiao L, Pi X, Holoshitz J. Aberrant Gi protein coupled receptor-mediated cell survival signaling in rheumatoid arthritis B cell lines. Frontier in Biosci 2007;12:1651-60.
- Ling S, Pi X, Holoshitz J. The rheumatoid arthritis shared epitope triggers innate immune signaling via cell surface calreticulin. J Immunol. 2007;179(9):6359-67.
- De-Almeida DE, Ling S, Pi X, Hartmann-Scruggs AM, Pumpens P, Holoshitz J. Immune Dysregulation by the rheumatoid arthritis shared epitope. J Immunol 2010; 185:927-34.
Biological Sciences
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