Robert Tsai

Education and Training

• National Taiwan University, MD
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, PhD, 1996

Research Interests

• The research interest of my laboratory is focused on the molecular mechanism that drives the self-renewing proliferation of stem cells, with the hope that we can use this knowledge to enhance the endogenous regenerative process to repair damaged tissues caused by diseases or injuries, particularly in the central nervous system, and, on the flip side, to reduce the uncontrolled proliferation seen in metastatic and high-grade tumors. The biological systems we use are ES, primary neural stem cell culture, and cancer cell lines, as well as mouse genetic models. The molecular target of our present studies is a family of nucleolar GTPases, one of which, nucleostemin (NS), confers a unique nucleolar state in the stem cells. NS was previously identified as enriched in the stem cell population, and shown to play important roles in keeping the neural stem cells and cancer cells in the cell cycle. The activity of NS is regulated by a small molecule in the cells (GTP) that serves as a molecular switch controlling the on and off states. Our work suggests a model in which continuously dividing cells use NS as a sensor to control their rate of division in response to changes that take place in their microenvironment. The mechanism by which NS and NS-related genes control tissue homeostasis in adult animals is being addressed in the following directions: 1) defining the unique nucleolar state in stem cells; 2) determining the signaling pathway that regulates the expression and activity of nucleostemin (NS) in stem cells and during adult tissue regeneration; and 3) establishing the role of NS-expressing cells in the tumorigenic process, with an emphasis on the brain, breast, and prostate tumors.

Awards, Recognition and Service

• Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Markers for Predicting the Risk of Liver Cancer in Non- Alcoholic Fatty Livers awarded by Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas - (Austin, Texas, United States)
• Nucleostemin: A New Tumor Addictive Mechanism, Outcome Predictor, and Therapeutic Target for Hepatocellular Carcinoma awarded by Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas - (Austin, Texas, United States)
• Aging Effect on Genome Maintenance during Hepatocyte Regeneration awarded by DHHS-NIH-National Institute On Aging
• Role of Nucleostemin in Conferring The Drug Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma awarded by DHHS-NIH-National Cancer Institute