Assistant Professor - Department of Neurological Sciences
Huh Lab
Education:
- Korea University, Seoul, Korea, BS, Genetic Engineering (1999)
- Korea University, Seoul, Korea, MS, Biochemistry (2001)
- Washington University, St. Louis, PhD, Molecular Cell Biology (2009)
Research Interests and Projects:
Research Interests:
- Inner ear development
- Sensory development
- Kidney development
- Organogenesis
- FGF signaling
- Wnt/b-catenin signaling
Current Projects:
- Identifying downstream targets of Fgf9 and Fgf20 for sensory progenitor proliferation
- Identifying role of Wnt/b-catenin signaling in sensory progenitor development
- Identifying mechanisms regulating nephron progenitor maintenance
Professional Summary:
Dr. Sung-Ho Huh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences and Mary and Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He received his postdoctoral training studying inner ear, kidney development and FGF signaling with Dr. Ornitz at Washington University in St. Louis.
His ultimate goal is to understand mechanisms by which molecular signaling pathways regulate the generation and maintenance of ear and kidney progenitor cells during development and regeneration and use these findings as tools for regenerative medicine.
Three out of 1000 newborns suffer from congenital hearing loss. Age, noise, and antibiotic-mediated hearing loss is due to outer hair cell loss in the cochlea of the inner ear, and these damaged cells are not replaced. In addition, acute and chronic renal diseases are a medical and financial burden in developed countries. The best strategy to repair damaged organs is regeneration through cell-based developed countries. The best strategy to repair damaged organs is regeneration through cell-based therapies. The tools and discoveries that his lab will develop through the identification of cochlear and nephron progenitor cell formation can be utilized in the development of new therapies. He believes that selective reactivation of signaling pathways that function during embryonic development may be an effective means to promote repair and regeneration of malformed or damaged organs such as cochlea and kidney, and also prevent pathological responses that could further compromise hearing and kidney function. Thus, a thorough understanding of signaling pathways that are necessary for normal development of the inner ear and kidney is necessary to facilitate the design of treatments for congenital and acquired hearing loss and kidney failure.
Professional Affiliations:
- Association for Research in Otolaryngology
- Society for Developmental Biology
Awards:
K99/R00 NIH Pathway to Independence