Basic Sciences Home  |  USD Home    

Qiangrong Liang

Education
Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, USA
M.S. in Forensic Medicine, Xian Medical University, China
M.D., Xian Medical University, China

Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor (9/2003-present) in the Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of South Dakota School of Medicine.
  
• Postdoctoral Researcher (10/1999-9/2003) in the Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
  Research Area: signal transduction mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.
  Major Achievements: My research determined the transcription factor GATA4 as a sufficient and necessary signaling molecule for cardiac hypertrophy that is regulated by ERK MAP kinase. This research resulted in two papers published in JBC and MCB, respectively. I have also found that c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) is a negative regulator of cardiac hypertrophy that interacts with calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway. This work has been reviewed by EMBO J and is being revised for publication.
  
• Graduate Research Assistant (7/1994-9/1999) in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of North Dakota School of Medicine. Advisor: Dr. Paul N. Epstein.
  Research Areas: diabetic and alcoholic cardiomyopathy and cardiac glucose metabolism.
  Major Achievements: I determined the potent protective role of metallothionein in diabetic cardiomyopathy, and the causative role of acetaldehyde (a metabolite of alcohol) in alcoholic cardiomyopathy. I also showed that hexokinase is a rate-limiting enzyme determining cardiac glucose usage, especially glycolysis. These results have been published in Diabetes, JPET and Cardiovasc Res, respectively.
  Teaching: Cardiovascular Pharmacology to nursing students.
  
• Researcher and Lecturer (7/1989-6/1994) in the Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Xian Medical University, China. Research: Adult and infant sudden death syndrome associated with heart diseases and vaccine
  inoculation, mechanisms of drug abuse and intoxication.
  Teaching: Forensic Pathology and Toxicology to medical students, including both laboratory
  tutoring and large group lecturing .
  
• Research and Teaching Assistant (9/1986-7/1989) in the Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Xian Medical University, China.
  Research area: the mechanisms of aconitine poisoning.
  Major Achievements: By studying the respiratory enzymes and mitochondrial oxidative
  phosphorylation, my experiments showed that aconitine-induced cardiotoxicity was based at
  least in part on the disturbance of myocardial energy metabolism. This work led to three
  original publications in two Chinese Journals. Teaching: Human Pathology to nursing students.
  
• Medical Student (9/1981-7/1986) in Xian Medical University, China

Honors and Awards
Travel Award: 1996, Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting.
Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award: 1997-1998, University of North Dakota School of Medicine.
Predoctoral Fellowship: 1997-1999, National Science Foundation and ND EPSCoR.
Postdoctoral Fellowship: 2001-2003, American Heart Association Ohio Valley Affiliate.
Trainee Abstract Award: 2001 AHA Scientific Sessions.

Scientific Societies
Society of Toxicology and American Heart Association

Reviewer for journals
Ad hoc reviewer for Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, American Journal of Physiology, Neuroscience Letters, Life Sciences, Cell Biology International, and Current Cardiology Review.
Also have been reviewing papers for Nature Medicine, Circulation Research, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Cell Biology and Journal of Biological Chemistry, etc.

Publications

Kobayashi S, Mao K, Zheng H, Wang X, Patterson C, O'Connell TD and Liang Q. Diminished GATA4 Protein Levels Contributes to Hyperglycemia-induced Cardiomyocyte Injury. J Biol Chem. 2007 May 24; [Epub ahead of print].

Huang Y, Wright CD, Merkwan CL, Baye NL, Liang Q, Simpson PC, and O'Connell. An alpha1A- adrenergic- extracellular signal-regulated kinase survival signaling pathway in cardiac myocytes. Circulation. 2007 Feb 13;115(6):763-72. Epub 2007 Feb 5

Liang Q, Elson A, and Gerdes AM. P38 MAP kinase activity is correlated with Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blocker induced Left Ventricular Reverse Remodeling in Spontaneously Hypertensive Heart Failure Rats. J Card Failure. 2006 Aug;12(6):479-86.

Kobayashi S, Lackey T, Huang Y, Bisping E, Pu WT, Boxer LM, and Liang Q. Transcription Factor Gata4 Regulates Cardiac Bcl2 Gene Expression In Vitro And In Vivo. FASEB J. 2006 Apr; 20(6):800-2. Epub 2006 Feb 9.

Kuzman JA, Gerdes AM, Kobayashi S, and Liang Q. T3 Activates AKT and Prevents Serum Starvation Induced Cell Death in Neonatal Cardiomyocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2005 Nov; 39(5):841-4.

Liang Q, Kaiser RA, Bueno OF, Huang Y, Lackey T, Klevitsky R, Hewett TE, Molkentin JD. Genetic inhibition or activation of JNK1/2 protects the myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion-induced cell death in vivo. J Biol Chem. 2005 Sep; 23;280(38):32602-8.

Liang Q, and Molkentin JD. Redefining the roles of p38 and JNK signaling in cardiac hypertrophy: dichotomy between cultured myocytes and animal models. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2003 Dec; 35(12):1385-94.

Liang Q, Bueno OF, Wilkins BJ, Kuan CY, Xia Y, Molkentin JD. c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) antagonize cardiac growth through cross-talk with calcineurin-NFAT signaling. EMBO J. 2003 Oct 1;22(19):5079-89.

Suzuki YJ, Day RM, Tan CC, Sandven TH, Liang Q, Molkentin JD, and Fanburg BL. Activation of GATA4 by serotonin in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. J Biol Chem. 2003 May 9;278(19):17525-31.

Braz JC, Bueno OF, Liang Q, Wilkins B, Braunwart J, Glascock BJ, Klevitsky R, Kimball TF, Hewett TE, and Molkentin JD. Inhibition of p38 MAPK promotes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and upregulation of calcineurin-NFAT signaling. J Clin Invest 2003 May;111(10):1475-86.

Sanbe A, Gulick J, Hanks MC, Liang Q, Osinska H and Robbins J. Reengineering Inducible Cardiac-specific Transgenesis with an Attenuated Myosin Heavy Chain Promoter. Circ Res. 2003 Apr 4;92(6):609-16.

Liang Q, and Molkentin JD. Divergent signaling pathways converge on GATA4 to regulate cardiac hypertrophic gene expression. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2002 Jun;34(6):611-6.

Liang Q, Donthi RV, Kralik PM, and Epstein PN. Elevated hexokinase increases cardiac glycolysis in transgenic mice. Cardiovasc Res 2002 Feb 1; 53(2):423-30.

Liang Q, Carlson EC, Donthi RV, Kralik PM, Shen X, and Epstein PN. Overexpression of metallothionein reduces diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes 2002 Jan; 51(1):174-81.

Liang Q, Wiese RJ, Bueno OF, Dai YS, Markham BE, and Molkentin JD. The transcription factor GATA4 is activated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1- and 2-mediated phosphorylation of serine 105 in cardiomyocytes. Mol Cell Biol 2001 Nov; 21(21):7460-9.

Charron F, Tsimiklis G, Arcand M, Robitaille L, Liang Q, and Molkentin JD, Meloche S, and Nemer M. Tissue-specific GATA factors are transcriptional effectors of the small GTPase RhoA. Genes Dev. 2001 Oct 15;15(20):2702-2719.

Liang Q, De Windt LJ, Witt SA, Kimball TR, Markham BE, and Molkentin JD. The transcriptional factors GATA4 and GATA6 regulate cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo. J Biol Chem 2001 Aug 10; 276(32):30245-53.

De Windt LJ, Lim HW, Bueno OF, Liang Q, Delling U, Braz JC, Glascock BJ, Kimball TF, del Monte F, Hajjar RJ, and Molkentin JD. Targeted inhibition of calcineurin attenuates cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001 Mar 13; 98(6):3322-3327.

Liang Q, Carlson EC, Borgerding AJ, and Epstein PN. A transgenic model of acetaldehyde overproduction accelerates alcohol cardiomyopathy. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1999 Nov; 291(2):766-72.

This page has been accessed 3,001 times