Project 2: Extreme physiology between identical twins (students with identical twin siblings are especially encouraged to apply)
Guo Huang, Professor
UC San Francisco
Deadline for this project is extended to Tuesday, September 8th, noon. Applicants should enter a URAP application online. This completes the application submission for this faculty mentor. Apply as soon as possible because projects may be closed as soon as they are filled. Do not wait until the deadline.
We aim to study whether there are extreme physiological phenomena among identical twins that can not be explained by any known biological mechanism.
We will exploit classical and non-classical model systems to explore this uncharted area. If you have identical twin brother/sister, your prior personal experiences would be a very valuable asset to this project.
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Publications from previous URAP students [name]:
1. Hirose, K.*, Payumo, A. Y.*, Cutie, S., [Hoang, A.], et al., and Huang, G. N. (*, equal contribution) (2019 Apr) Evidence for hormonal control of heart regenerative capacity during endothermy acquisition. Science
2. Cutie, S., [Hoang, A. T.], Payumo, A. Y., and Huang, G. N. (2017 Dec) Unconventional functions of muscles in planarian regeneration. Developmental Cell
3. Hirose, K., [Chang, S.], et al., and Huang, G. N. (Submitted) Loss of a novel striated muscle-enriched mitochondrial protein Coq10a enhances postnatal cardiac hypertrophic growth.
4. [Amram, A.], Cutie, S., and Huang, G. N. (2021 Jan) Hormonal control of cardiac regenerative potential. Endocrine Connections
5. [Khyeam, S.], [Lee, S.], and Huang, G. N. (2021 May) Genetic, epigenetic, and postâtranscriptional basis of divergent tissue regenerative capacities among vertebrates. Advanced Genetics, e10042
6. Payumo, A. Y.*, Chen, X.*, Hirose, K., Chen, X., Hoang, A., [Khyeam, S.], Yu, H., Wang, J., Chen, Q., [Powers, N.], Chen, L., Bigley, R. B., Lovas, J., Hu, G., and Huang, G. N. (*, equal contribution) (2021 Sep) Adrenergic-thyroid hormone interactions drive postnatal thermogenesis and loss of mammalian heart regenerative capacity. Circulation
7. [Amram AV], Cutie S, Huang GN. (2021 Jan) Hormonal control of cardiac regenerative potential. Endocr Connect.
8. [Khyeam S], [Lee S], Huang GN. (2021 Jun) Genetic, Epigenetic, and Post-Transcriptional Basis of Divergent Tissue Regenerative Capacities Among Vertebrates. Adv Genetics.
9. [Powers N], Huang GN. (2022 May) Mending a broken heart with novel cardiogenic small molecules. Cell Regeneration
10. [Powers N], Huang GN. (2022 May) Visualization of regenerating and repairing hearts. Clin Sci.
11. Huang H ... [Khyeam S] et al., (2024 Sep) Quantitative label-free digital holographic imaging of cardiomyocyte optical volume, nucleation, and cell division. JMCC
12. Smith MA ... [Price AR], [Powers N], et al. (2025 Oct) Microvascular preservation and cardiomyocyte hyperplasia underlie adaptive right ventricle development in congenital heart disease-pulmonary arterial hypertension. AJP-Heart and Circulatory Physiology
13. Chen X, [Zhong X] ... Huang GN (2026 Mar) A transcription regulator atlas identifies TOX3 as an Atoh1 coactivator in cerebellar development and tumorigenesis. PNAS
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Please include in the application
(1) your career plan,
(2) daily schedule of committed hours to perform research in the lab (please exclude the commute time),
(3) prior research experience if any,
(4) a link to your LinkedIn profile (with your head photo),
(5) a. whether you have healthy low heart rates, or b. whether you have an identical twin brother or sister,
(6)(optional) a one-sentence description if you are from diverse backgrounds in but not limited to ethnicity, sexual orientation, and geography (including international students with F1 visa).
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Role: Candidates will work with postdoctoral fellows and staff researchers in the lab. Students will also have the opportunity to engage directly with the professor.
Potential techniques and experience acquired during the training include:
- Advanced imaging microscopy on live or fixed tissues and animals;
- Molecular cloning and genome editing using the CRISPR technology;
- classical and non-classical model systems.
Qualifications: Students with identical twin siblings are especially encouraged to apply.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Makoto Nakamura , Post-Doc
Hours: 12 or more hours
Off-Campus Research Site: UCSF Mission Bay campus 555 Mission Bay Blvd South, San Francisco
Biological & Health Sciences