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Fengyi
Wan
,
PhD

Professor

Fengyi Wan, PhD, dissects the interactions between host cells, the microbiota, and pathogens to understand health and diseases in the colon.

Contact Info

615 N. Wolfe Street, Room W8515
Baltimore
Maryland
21205
US        
(410) 955-2926

Research Interests

signal transduction; pathogen-host-microbiota interactions; RNA-binding proteins; colitis; colon tumorigenesis; autoimmune diseases.

Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
Chinese Academy of Sciences
2003
BS
Wuhan University
1999
Overview

My laboratory is interested in investigating the host-pathogen-commensal interactions in bacterially induced colonic infection, inflammation, and tumorigenesis, and elucidating the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, using a combination of genetic, immunological, molecular, and cellular approaches.  In particular, we are interested to examine how bacterial virulence proteins (effectors) interfere with host inflammatory and immune signaling in host cells, to elucidate the key immune signaling that orchestrates innate and adaptive immune responses to colonic bacterial infection, and to explore the critical pathogen-host-microbiota interactions that can be mechanistically linked to microbially induced lethal colitis and colon cancer etiology in mice and in humans.

Postdoc positions are available. Please contact Fengyi Wan (fwan1@jhu.edu) for the details.

Honors & Awards

Yong-Ling Liu Award, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2002); Director Award, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2003); Howard Temin Pathway to Independence Award in Cancer Research, NCI (2008); AAI-Invitrogen Trainee Achievement Award, American Association of Immunologists (2009); American Cancer Society Research Scholar, ACS (2013); Johns Hopkins Catalyst Award (2017); Idea Development Award, Department of Defense (2019).

Select Publications
  • Xu D, Zhou S, Liu Y, Scott AL, Yang J, Wan F (2024) Complement in breast milk modifies the offspring gut microbiota to promote infant health. Cell 187(3): 750-763.e20

  • Liu Y, Fu K, Wier EM, Lei Y, Hodgson A, Xu D, Xia X, Zheng D, Ding H, Sears CL, Yang J, Wan F (2022) Bacterial genotoxin accelerates transient infection-driven murine colon tumorigenesis. Cancer Discov. 12(1): 236-249

  • Xia X, Liu Y, Hodgson A, Xu D, Guo W, Yu H, She W, Zhou C, Lan L, Fu K, Vallance BA, Wan F (2019) EspF is crucial for Citrobacter rodentium-induced tight junction disruption and lethality in immunocompromised animals. PLoS Pathog. 15(6): e1007898

  • Sun X, Fu K, Hodgson A, Wier EM, Wen MG, Kamenyeva O, Xia X, Koo LY, Wan F (2016) Sam68 is required for DNA damage responses via regulating poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. PLoS Biol. 14(9): e1002543

  • Wan F, Anderson DE, Barnitz RA, Snow A, Bidere N, Zheng L, Hegde V, Lam LT, Staudt LM, Levens D, Deutsch WA, Lenardo MJ (2007) Ribosomal Protein S3: A KH Domain Subunit in NF-B Complexes that Mediates Selective Gene Regulation. Cell 131(5): 927-939