Wei (Roc) Song, PhD
Professor, Principal Investigator
Medical Research Institute/Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism
Wuhan University
+86-27-68750175
songw@whu.edu.cn
Research Interests
Secreted-factor-mediated interorgan communication is essential for organisms to maintain systemic energy and immune homeostasis. Dysregulation of interorgan communication leads to a variety of wasting diseases or cachexia in the context of infection, cancer, aging, as well as anxiety. My lab focuses on gut-secreted factors using fruit flies and mice to exploit:
1. Molecular mechanisms by which the gut senses microbiota and stress signals.
2. Novel factors like secreted proteins, secreted organelles, and metabolites.
3. Target organs (kidney, liver, heart) and physiological outputs associated with immune and metabolic regulation.
Education
2001-2005 BA in Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, China
2005-2010 PhD in Biochemistry and molecular biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, China
Work Experience
2011-2017 Postdoc, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, USA
2012-2014 Research Assistant, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
2018-present Professor, Medical Research Institute/Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University
Awards and Honors
2010 Ray Wu Prize, China
2010 Dean’s Prize of Excellence, CAS, China
2012 Research Fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
2015 Research Award, NIH/Joslin Pilot & feasibility, USA
2015 Research Fellowship, American Diabetes Association, USA
2017 Research Award, Harvard Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator, USA
Grants and Funding
2019-2021 Double-first-class Initiative of Wuhan University
2019-2021 Overseas High-Level Talent Program Category A
2019-2022 National Natural Science Foundation of China General Project
2019-2021 National Natural Science Foundation of China Major Research Plan
2022-2024 National Ministry of Science and Technology Key Research and Development Project
2022-2024 Taikang Life Medicine Center of Wuhan University
Selected Publications
• Xu W#, Li G#, Chen Y, Ye X*, Song W*. (2023) A novel anti-diuretic hormone governs tumor-indued renal dysfunction. Nature 624, 425–432.
• Li J#, Dang P#, Li Z#, Zhao T, Cheng D, Pan D*, Yuan Y*, Song W*. (2023) Peroxisomal ERK mediates Akh/glucagon action and glycemic control. Cell Rep 42, 113200.
• Li Y#, Zhou X#, Cheng C, Ding G, Zhao P, Tan K, Chen L, Perrimon N, Veenstra JA, Zhang L, Song W*. (2023) Gut AstA mediates sleep deprivation-induced energy wasting in Drosophila. Cell Discov 9, 49.
• Chen Y, Xu W, Chen Y, Han A, Song J, Zhou X, Song W*. (2022) Renal NF-κB activation impairs uric acid homeostasis to promote tumor-associated mortality independent of wasting. Immunity 55, 1594-1608.
• Ding G#, Xiang X#, Hu Y#, Xiao G, Chen Y, Binari R, Comjean A, Li J, Rushworth E, Fu Z, Mohr SE, Perrimon N*, Song W*. (2021) Coordination of tumor growth and host wasting by tumor-derived Upd3. Cell Rep 36, 109553.
• Song W*, Kir S, Hong S, Hu Y, Wang X, Rinari R, Chung V, Banks AS, Spiegelman B, Perrimon N. (2019). Tumor-derived ligands trigger host wasting via MEK activation. Dev Cell 48, 277-286.
• Song W*, Cheng D, Hong S, Sappe B, Hu Y, Wei N, Zhu C, O’Connor MB, Pissio P, Perrimon N*. (2017) Midgut-Derived Activin Regulates Glucagon-like Action in the Fat Body and Glycemic Control. Cell Metab 25, 386-399.
• Song W#, Ren D#, Li W#, Jiang L, Cho KW, Huang P, Fan C, Song Y, Liu Y*, Rui L*. (2010) SH2B regulation of growth, metabolism, and longevity in both insects and mammals. Cell Metab 11, 427-437.
