Pei-Chun Chen Email & Phone Number

Portland, Oregon, US

• Regulation of ATP sensitive potassium channel (KATP) trafficking in pancreatic  cells
• Demonstrated that Syntaxin 1A not only modulates KATP channel gating, but also channel abundance at the cell membrane to influence the efficiency of coupling between glucose stimulation and insulin secretion.
• Screened and Identified that carbamazepine rescued a subset of KATP channel mutations from congenital hyperinsulinism patients using several small molecules that overcome the folding effect of the cystic fibrosis.
• Demonstrated and characterized that leptin increases KATP channel conductance by recruiting KATP channels to the plasma membrane via AMPK/PKA signaling. This regulation is a key mechanism by which metabolic and.

Madison, WI, US

• Astrocytic Nrf2 protection in MPTP induced Parkinson’s disease mouse model
• Established that subchronic MPTP models in ARE reporter mice to test if MPTP could activate Nrf2 dependent gene transcription.
• Demonstrated that Nrf2 knockout mice were more sensitive to MPTP than wildtype mice using several different doses of MPTP.
• Generated the mice that only express Nrf2 in astrocytes
• Identified that astrocytic Nrf2 could prevent MPTP toxicity