• 2005-2013 Postdoc, Department of Biochemistry and Rosenstiel Basid Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University (Adviser: Drs. Gregory Petsko & Dagmar Ringe)
• 2010-2011 Visiting Scientist, Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Harvard Medical School (Adviser: Dr. Marcie Glicksman)
• 2008-2010 Visiting Scientist, Whitehead Institue, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Adviser: Dr. Susan Lindquist)
• 1998-2004 PhD in Molecular Biology, Wayne State University (Adviser: Dr. Miriam Greenberg)
• 1994-1997 MS in Microbiology, Fudan University (Adviser: Professor Deqing Zhou)
• 1990-1994 BS in Physiology, Nanjing University

• BIO1120:                      Cells and Genes     
• BIO4020/BIO6020:     Current Literature in Neurodegenerative Disease
• BIO4920:                      Senior Seminar
• BIO7300/BMS7780:   Graduate Cell Biology
• BIO8000:                      Graduate Seminar

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a relentlessly progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease. Patients with ALS suffer from degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to progressive muscular weakness, culminating in death due to respiratory paralysis, typically 2-5 years after onset. Unfortunately, no effective treatment is currently available. While most forms of ALS are sporadic and idiopathic (sALS), ~10% of cases are inherited in a Mendelian fashion and are designated familial ALS (fALS). My research interest is to characterize the functions of proteins involved in fALS with the aim of targeting them for drug design. To achieve this goal, interdisciplinary approaches involved in several research areas will be utilized, including molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry and structure biology, and large scale genetic screen.

• Current: Widad El-zein, Bailey Stammen, Rahul Shah, Daivd Rucker
• Alumni:
  • MD/PhD: Elliott Hayden
  • MS: Alan Cone, Leah Shurte, Hanoor Sharma, Candase Garrett, Aicha Kebe, Weston Shaw
  • Undergraduate: Anne Tormey, Sarah Marr, Townsend Smith, Oluwaseun Banjoko, Majhe Minor, Christian Taewon Chong, Siyi Zhang, Abagail Chumley, Hayden Sivertsen-Khun, Mikayla Hoeferlin 
  • High School: Diksha Bedi, Jay Chen
  • Postdoc/Research Associate: Shuzhen Chen, Andrew Koesters, Chenyi Xia

Hayden E, Chen S, Chumley A, Xia C. Zhong Q, Ju S. A Genetic Screen for Human Genes Suppressing FUS Induced Toxicity in Yeast. G3 (Bethesda). 10(6): 1843-1852. (2020)

Hayden E, Chen S, Chumley A, Zhong Q, Ju S. Mating-based overexpression library screening in yeast. J. Vis. Exp. (137), e57978, doi:10.3791/57978. (2018)

Hayden E, Cone A, Ju S. Supersaturated proteins in ALS. PNAS. 114(20):5065-5066. (2017)

Wang W, Nguyen LT, Burlak C, Chegini F, Guo F, Chataway T, Ju S, Fisher OS, Miller DW, Datta D, Wu F, Wu CX, Landeru A, Wells JA, Cookson MR, Boxer MB, Thomas CJ, Gai WP, Ringe D, Petsko GA, Hoang QQ. Caspase-1 causes truncation and aggregation of the Parkinson's disease-associated protein α-synuclein. PNAS. 113(34):9587-92. (2016)

Barmada SJ, Ju S, Arjun A, Batarse A, Etemadi K, Smith K, Peisach D, Li X, Zhang Y, Tank E, Qu H, Huang E, Popp M, Maquat L, Ringe D, Petsko G, and Finkbeiner S. Amelioration of neurotoxicity in neuronal models of ALS and FTD by hUPF1. PNAS. 112(25):7821-6. (2015)

Jackson KL, Dayton RD, Orchard EA, Ju S, Ringe D, Petsko GA, Maquat LE, Klein RL. Preservation of forelimb function by UPF1 gene therapy in a rat model of TDP-43-induced motor paralysis. Gene Therapy. 22(1):20-8. (2015)

Steele JW*, Lachenmayer ML*, Ju S, Stock A, Liken J, Kim SH, Delgado LM, Alfaro IE, Bernales S, Verdile G, Bharadwaj P, Gupta V, Barr R, Friss A, Dolios G, Wang R, Ringe D, Fraser P, Westaway D, St George-Hyslop PH, Szabo P, Relkin NR, Glabe CG, Protter AA, Martins RN, Ehrlich ME, Petsko GA, Yue Z, and Gandy S. Latrepirdine improves cognition and arrests progression of neuropathology in an Alzheimer's mouse model. Molecular Psychiatry. 18(8):889-97. (2013) [* equal contributors]

Steele JW*, Ju S*, Lachenmayer ML, Liken J, Stock A, Kim SH, Delgado LM, Alfaro IE, Bernales S, Verdile G, Bharadwaj P, Gupta V, Barr R, Friss A, Dolios G, Wang R, Ringe D, Fraser P, Westaway D, St George-Hyslop PH, Szabo P, Relkin NR, Glabe CG, Protter AA, Martins RN, Ehrlich ME, Yue Z, Petsko GA, and Gandy S. Latrepirdine stimulates autophagy and reduces accumulation of alpha-synuclein in cells and in mouse brain. Molecular Psychiatry. 18(8):882-8. (2013) [* equal contributors]

Bharadwaj PR, Verdile G, Barr RK, Gupta V, Steele JW, Lachenmayer L, Yue Z, Ehrlich ME, Petsko G, Ju S, Ringe D, Sankovich SE, Caine JM, Macreadie IG, Gandy S, Martins RN. Latrepirdine (Dimebon) enhances autophagy and reduces intracellular GFP-Aβ42 levels in yeast. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 32(4): 949-67. (2012)
Wang W, Perovic I, Chittularu J, Kaganovich A, Nguyen L, Liao J, Auclair JR, Johnson D, Landeru A, Simorellis AK, Ju S, Kagnanovich A,  Cookson M, Asturias FJ, Agar JN, Webb BN, Kang C, Ringe D, Petsko GA, Pochapsky TC, and Hoang Q. The Parkinson disease-associated protein alpha-Synuclein exists as a soluble thermostable tetramer. PNAS. 108(43):17797-802. (2011)

Ju S, Tardiff DF, Han H, Divya K, Zhong Q, Bosco DA, Hayward LJ, Lindquist SL, Brown RH, Ringe D, and Petsko GA. A yeast model of FUS-dependent cytotoxicity. PloS Biol. 9(4): e1001052. (2011)

Lewandowski N, Ju S, Schobel S, Ross B, Vonsattel J, Brown T, Ringe D, Cote L, Petsko G, Marder K, Clark L, Small S. The polyamine pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease. PNAS. 107(39): 16970-75. (2010)

Landon MR, Lieberman RL, Hoang QQ, Ju S, Caaveiro JM, Orwig SD, Kozakov D, Brenke R, Chuang GY, Beglov D, Vajda S, Petsko GA, and Ringe D. Detection of ligand binding hot spots on protein surfaces via fragment-based methods: application to DJ-1 and glucocerebrosidase. J Comput Aided Mol Des. 23(8): 491-500. (2009)

Amigues E, Greenberg ML, Ju S, Chen Y, and Migaud ME.  Synthesis of spirocyclophospho-glucose and glucitols.  Tetrahedron. 63(40): 10042-10053. (2007)
 
Azab AN, He Q, Ju S, Li G, and Greenberg ML. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 is required for optimal de novo synthesis of inositol. Mol Microbiol. 63(4): 1248-58. (2007)
 
Shi Y, Vaden DL, Ju S, Ding D, Geiger JH, and Greenberg ML. Genetic perturbation of glycolysis results in inhibition of de novo inositol biosynthesis. J Biol Chem. 280(51):41805-10. (2005)
 
Ju S and Greenberg ML. 1D-myo-inositol 3-phosphate synthase: conservation, regulation, and potential target of mood stabilizers. Clinic Neurosci Res. 4(3-4): 181-187. (2004)
 
Ju S, Shaltiel G, Shamir A, Agam G, and Greenberg ML. Human 1D-myo-inositol 3-phosphate synthase is functional in yeast. J Biol Chem. 279(21): 21759-65. (2004)
 
Ju S and Greenberg ML.  Valproate disrupts regulation of inositol responsive genes and alters regulation of phospholipid biosynthesis. Mol Microbiol. 49(6):1595-603. (2003)
 
Shaldubina A, Ju S, Vaden DL, Ding D, Belmaker RH, Greenberg ML.  Epi-inositol regulates expression of the yeast INO1 gene encoding inositol-1-P synthase. Mol Psychiatry. 7(2):174-80. (2002)