Research Areas
1. Using human pluripotent stem cells to model, study and treat diseases
2. The genetic and epigenetic regulation of liver lipid metabolism
3. Novel genetic therapeutics to metabolic diseases

Brief Biography

Education/Research Experience
2017~present Principal Investigator, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
2014.09~2016 Principal Investigator, Institute for Nutritional Sciences (INS), Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
2010.09~2014.08 Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
2004.09~2010.03 Ph.D. Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
2000.09~2004.07 B.S. Nanjing University

Academic Awards
2015 Shanghai Pujang Talent Award
2014 ATVB Young Investigator Award for Women (Finalist)
2014 American Heart Association Fellowship
2010 Roche Fellowship

Selected Publications (*Corresponding Author)

1. Tian C#*, Guo X#, Wang D, Chen Q, Shen H, Li X, Liu C, Qi Y, Chen Y, Wang L, Wang Y, Cao Y, Liu Y, Yin H, Chen Y, Gu X, Jiang C*, Tang L*, Xie C*, Ding Q*. Uric acid promotes dietary lipid absorption through microbiome and metabolomic remodeling via a liver-gut endocrine axis. Cell Host Microbe 2026 Jun 3:S1931-3128(26)00181-2. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2026.05.005.
2. Zhang Y, Wang Y, Li B, Li X, Liu C, Chen Y, Tian C, Wang D, Gu X, Jiang C*, Wei Y*, Ding Q*. Selenoprotein H Functions as a PPARα Coactivator to Link Selenium Homeostasis to Hepatic Lipid Metabolism and Protect against Steatohepatitis. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2026;13(22):e19563.
3. Jiang D, Wang Y, Chen Y, Tian C, Li X, Li S, Gu X, Jiang C*, Ding Q*. Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Differentially Controls the Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. J Cell Physiol 2025;240(8):e70083.
4. Qi Y, He X, Wu X, Zhou T, Liang N, Jiao J, Chen Y, Yuan Y, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Liu Y, Ding Q*. Identification of deferasirox as a human xanthine oxidase inhibitor. Life Med 2025;4(2):Inaf014.
5. Tian C, Gu X, Jiang C*, Ding Q*. Emerging roles of MRG15 in liver metabolic diseases. Trends Mol Med 2024;30(6):527-529.
6. Li S#, Jiang D#, Li X, Zhao Y, Gu X, Jiang C*, Ding Q*. CD157 selectively identifies hPSCs with enhanced hepatic differentiation capacity. Life Med 2024;Inae 026.
7. Wu X, Jiang D, Wang Y, Li X, Liu X, Chen Y, Sun W, He R, Yang Y, Gu X, Jiang C*, Ding Q*. Modeling metabolic-associated steatohepatits with human pluripotent stem cell-derived liver organoids. Hepatol Commun 2024;8(12):e0585.
8. Chen Y#*, Chen L#, Wu X#, Zhao Y, Wang Y, Jiang D, Liu X, Zhou T, Li S, Wei Y, Liu Y, Hu C, Zhou B, Qin J, Ying H, Ding Q*. Acute liver steatosis translationally controls the epigenetic regulator MIER1 to promote liver regeneration in a study with male mice. Nat Commun 2023;14(1):1521.
9. Zhao Y#*, Li S#, Chen Y, Wang Y, Wei Y, Zhou T, Zhang Y, Yang Y, Chen L, Liu Y, Hu C, Zhou B, Ding Q*. Histone phosphorylation integrates the hepatic glucagon-PKA-CREB gluconeogenesis program in response to fasting. Mol Cell 2023;S1097-2765(23)00102-8. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.02.007.
10. Wu X, Jiang D, Li S*, Ding Q*. Modeling drug-induced liver injury and screening for anti-hepatofibrotic compounds using human PSC-derived organoids. Cell Regen 2023;12(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s13619-022-00148-1.
11. Zhou T, Musunuru K, Lui K*, Ding Q*. Decoding liver fibrogenesis with single-cell technologies. Life Med 2022;Inac040.
12. Tian C, Min X, Zhao Y, Wang Y, Wu X, Liu S, Dou W, Zhou T, Liu Y, Luo R, Li Z, Lui KO, Li Y, Zhou B, Ding Q*. MRG15 aggravates non-alcoholic steaohepatitis progression by regulating the mitochondrial proteolytic degradation of TUFM. J Hepatol 2022;S0168-8278(22)02981-6.
13. Han J#*, Wang Y#*, Qiu Y, Sun D, Liu Y, Li Z, Zhou B, Zhang H, Xiao Y, Wu G*, Ding Q*. Single-cell sequencing unveils key contributions of immune cell populations in cancer-associated adipose wasting. Cell Discov 2022;8(1):122.
14. Chen Y, Ding Q*. Optimized protocols for efficient gene editing in mouse hepatocytes in vivo using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. STAR Protoc 2022;3(1):101062.
15. Qiu Y, Ding Q*. Optimized protocol for gene editing in adipocytes using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. STAR Protoc 2021;2:100307.
16. Qiu Y, Liu X, Sun Y, Zeng X, Li S, Wei Y, Tian C, Ding Q*. In situ saturating mutagenesis screening identifies a functional genomic locus that regulates Ucp1 expression. Phenomics 2020;1:15-21.
17. Liu X, Yang Y, Qiu Y, Md. Reyad-ul-ferdous, Ding Q*, Wang Y*. SeqCor: correct the effect of gRNA sequences in CRISPR/Cas9 screenings by machine learning algorithm. J Genet Genomics 2020;47:672-680.
18. Qiu Y, Yang Y, Wei Y, Liu X, Feng Z, Zeng X, Chen Y, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Chen L, Luo L, Ding Q*. Glyburide regulates UCP1 expression in adipocytes independent of K ATP channel blockade. iScience 2020; 23: 101446.
19. Ding Q*. Spotlight on gene therapy in China. Gene Ther 2020;27:307-308.
20. Wei Y#, Tian C#, Zhao Y#, Liu X, Liu F, Li S, Chen Y, Qiu Y, Feng Z, Chen L, Zhou T, Ren X, Feng C, Liu Y, Yu W, Ying H, Ding Q*. MRG15 orchestrates rhythmic epigenomic remodeling and controls hepatic lipid metabolism. Nat Metab 2020;2:447-460.
21. Yang Y#, Liu X#, Li S, Chen Y, Zhao Y, Wei Y, Qiu Y, Liu Y, Zhou Z, Han J*, Wu G*, Ding Q*. Genome-scale CRISPR screening for potential targets of ginsenoside compound K. Cell Death Dis 2020;11:39.
22. Zhao Y#, Feng Z#, Ding Q*. Type 2 Diabetes Variants in the SLC16A11 coding region are not loss-of-function mutations. Cell Rep 2019;29:1-4.
23. Feng Z, Wei Y, Zhang Y, Qiu Y, Liu X, Su L, Liang N, Yin H, Ding Q*. Identification of a rhodanine derivative BML-260 as a potent stimulator of UCP1 expression. Theranostics 2019;9:3501-3514.
24. Zhao Y#, Feng Z#, Zhang Y#, Sun Y, Chen Y, Liu X, Li S, Zhou T, Chen L, Wei Y, Ma D, Lui K, Ying H, Chen Y, Ding Q*. Gain-of-function mutations of SLC16A11 contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Cell Rep 2019;26:884-892.
25. Qiu Y#, Sun Y#, Xu D, Yang Y, Liu X, Wei Y, Chen Y, Feng Z, Li S, Ferdous M, Zhao Y, Xu H, Lao Y*, Ding Q*. Screening of FDA-approved drugs identifies sutent as a modulator of UCP1 expression in brown adipose tissue. EBioMedicine 2018;37:344-355.
26. Li S, Li M, Liu X, Yang Y, Wei Y, Chen Y, Qiu Y, Zhou T, Feng Z, Ma D, Fang J, Ying H, Wang H, Musunuru K, Shao S*, Zhao Y*, Ding Q*. Genetic and chemical screenings identify HDAC3 as a key regulator in hepatic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Rep 2018;11:22-31.
27. Sun Y, Ding Q*. Genome engineering of stem cell organoids for disease modeling. Protein Cell 2017. 8:315-327.
28. Wei Y, Qiu Y, Chen Y, Liu G, Zhang Y, Xu L, Ding Q*. CRISPR/Cas9 with single guide RNA expression driven by small tRNA promoters showed reduced editing efficiency compared to U6 promoter. RNA 2017;23:1-5.
29. Wei Y, Chen Y, Qiu Y, Zhao H, Liu G, Zhang Y, Meng Q, Wu G, Chen Y, Cai X, Wang H, Ying H, Zhou B, Liu M, Li D, Ding Q*. Prevention of muscle wasting by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of myostatin in vivo. Mol Ther 2016;24:1889-1991.
30. Chen Y, Liu X, Zhang Y, Wang H, Ying H, Liu M, Li D, Lui K, Ding Q*. A Self- restricted CRISPR System to Reduce Off- target Effects. Mol Ther 2016;24:1508-1510.
31. Wang X, Raghavan A, Chen T, Qiao L, Zhang Y, Ding Q*, Musunuru K*. CRISPR-Cas9 Targeting of PCSK9 in Human Hepatocytes In Vivo. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2016;143:1475-1481.