Weidong Wang, PhD

  • Position: Diabetes Research Member, Associate Professor of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Wang earned his Ph.D. in Genetics and Development from Columbia University in New York. He then did his postdoctoral training in regenerative medicine and chemical biology at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego.

Dr. Wang’s interests center on the pancreatic beta cell biology and insulin resistance in diabetes. Specifically, using mouse models, he is studying the role of pathological stress in the beta cell death during diabetes and the identification of molecules (small molecules and macromolecules) that protect or preserve beta cells for the treatment of diabetes. He is also studying the mechanisms of beta cell compensation under conditions of insulin resistance and exploring the possibility of harnessing the endogenous beta cell regeneration capability for diabetes treatment by identifying beta cell regeneration small molecules. More recently, he is also studying novel genes and small molecules newly identified in his lab on the improvement of obesity-induced insulin resistance.

Email

Weidong-Wang@ouhsc.edu

Additional Websites

Health Education
  • Graduate School
  • Post Doctoral, Regenerative Medicine and Chemical Biology Scripps Research Institute
    San Diego, CA
  • PhD, Genetics and Development Columbia University
    New York City, NY
  • Undergraduate School
  • Bachelors Fudan University Shanghai Medical College
    Shanghai,
Research Interests:
  • Beta cell regeneration
  • Beta cell death and survival
  • Beta cell function
  • Obesity and insulin resistance
  • Brown adipose tissue activation and browning of white adipose tissue
  • ER stress and its role in beta cell death and insulin resistance
  • PPARg post-translational modification and small molecule regulator
Publications
  • Pharmacological Inhibition of Inositol-Requiring Enzyme 1a RNase Activity Protects Pancreatic Beta Cell and Improves Diabetic Condition in Insulin Mutation-Induced Diabetes 2021

    Frontiers in endocrinology, 12, 749879. PMID: 34675883. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.749879

  • A Novel Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Ligand Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Promotes Browning of White Adipose Tissue in Obese Mice 2021

    Molecular metabolism, 101363. PMID: 34710641. DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101363

  • Discovery of N-(2-(Benzylamino)-2-oxoethyl)benzamide analogs as a novel scaffold of pancreatic ß-cell protective agents against endoplasmic reticulum stress 2020

    Chemical biology & drug design, 95(3), 388-393. PMID: 31755655. DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13650

  • Design, synthesis, and evaluation of potent novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ? indole partial agonists 2019

    Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters, 29(22), 126664. PMID: 31591015. DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126664

  • Discovery of a Benzamide Derivative That Protects Pancreatic ß-Cells against Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress 2017

    Journal of medicinal chemistry, 60(14), 6191-6204. PMID: 28696115. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00435

  • Identification of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives that protect pancreatic ß cells against endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated dysfunction and death through the inhibition of C/EBP-homologous protein expression 2016

    Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry, 24(12), 2621-30. PMID: 27157393. DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.03.057

  • Discovery, Synthesis, and Evaluation of 2,4-Diaminoquinazolines as a Novel Class of Pancreatic ß-Cell-Protective Agents against Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress 2016

    Journal of medicinal chemistry, 59(17), 7783-800. PMID: 27505441. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00041