Date & time: 

Time：25th October, 4:00-5:30pm BJT

Location: WDR 1003

Zoom ID: 920 0547 9649

Passcode: DKU2024

Speaker: 

Prof. Chaolin Zhang, Associate Professor

Motor Neuron Center Columbia University lrving Medical Center

Abstract: 

In his talk, Dr. Zhang will introduce their long-term pursuit to map protein-RNA interactions and define RNA-regulatory networks by analyzing and integrating multiple modalities of high-throughput genomic data. These RNA-binding-protein (RBP)-centric studies have led to an improved understanding of the targeting specificity of RNA-binding proteins and their roles in driving developmental stage and cell type-specific alternative splicing regulatory programs in the nervous system. He will also discuss their recent ongoing efforts to develop technologies that enable one to precisely manipulate RNA regulation, including CRISPR-based high-throughput screening for splicing-regulatory elements in disease target genes. An ultimate goal is to develop “exon-centric” strategies to target RNA regulation using antisense oligos (ASOs) and other approaches for precision genetic medicine.

Bio: 

Dr. Chaolin Zhang is an Associate Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, and Motor Neuron Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He received his PhD training in computational biology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and then performed Postdoctoral work at Rockefeller University, New York. Before that, he obtained a bachelor’s degree studying Automation at Tsinghua University, Beijing. As a converted biologist originally trained in engineering, he has a deep interest in understanding gene regulatory logics. From the beginning of his academic endeavor, he decided to tackle the RNA code, i.e., how specific protein-RNA interactions determine the gene output in health and disease conditions, which remains the focus of his lab..