Jerold Chun, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor(s)
Lab Website
Jerold Chun's Research Focus
- Genomic Mosaicism in the Brain: Genomic mosaicism (GM) is a surprising phenomenon whereby cells from the same brain actually have distinct genomes (different DNA sequences). We continue to define forms of GM, involved cell types, and GM’s impact on normal brain function and disease. Diseases of particular interest include Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases as well as neuropsychiatric disorders and substance abuse.
- Lysophospholipid Receptor Signaling: Lysophospholipids, such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) are small fat molecules that act through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) on the surface of cells. We continue to study fundamental aspects of their signaling properties, and their disease roles in hydrocephalus (water on the brain), neuropsychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, autism), and neurodegenerative disorders (multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease).
- Neuroscience Drug Discovery: From these and other research areas, new therapeutics for diseases of the brain are being pursued, which include identifying new targets, novel biomarkers, and mechanism-of-action studies. This approach successfully aided in the development of the first oral treatment for multiple sclerosis, fingolimod, and related lysophospholipid receptor compounds. Drug discovery efforts include not only small molecules, but also other forms of molecular therapeutics.
Jerold Chun's Bio
Professor at UCSD and TSRI
Department Head, Molecular Neuroscience, Merck Research Labs
Why do you do what you do?
I love doing science, and a chance to do some good for the world. Sanford Burnham Prebys is a great place to pursue science.
Education
1988-1991: Postdoctoral Fellow, Whitehead Institute/MIT, laboratories of Drs. Rudolf Jaenisch and David Baltimore, Developmental and Molecular Biology
1988: M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Neuroscience
1981: B.A., University of Hawaii at Manoa, English and Biology
Honors and recognition
2016: Alzheimer’s San Diego Courage and Hope Award
2014: Thomson Reuters World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds list of highly cited researchers
2011: Killam Lecturer, Montreal Neurological Institute
2010: Journal of Lipid Research Lecturer, Keystone Symposium on Bioactive Lipids: Biochemistry and Diseases, Kyoto, Japan
2007: Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Neuroscience, LSU Medical School
1999-2006: Independent Scientist Award, NIMH
1994-1999: First Award, NIMH
1993-1995: Basil O'Connor Scholar (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation), UCSD
1992-1995: Klingenstein Fellow in the Neurosciences, UCSD
1992-1994: Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, UCSD
1988-1991: Helen Hay Whitney Fellow, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
1981-1988: Trainee, Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Stanford University School of Medicine
Publications
Somatic APP gene recombination in Alzheimer's disease and normal neurons.
Lee MH, Siddoway B, Kaeser GE, Segota I, Rivera R, Romanow WJ, Liu CS, Park C, Kennedy G, Long T, Chun J
Nature 2018 Nov ;563(7733):639-645
A Functionally Defined In Vivo Astrocyte Population Identified by c-Fos Activation in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis Modulated by S1P Signaling: Immediate-Early Astrocytes (ieAstrocytes).
Groves A, Kihara Y, Jonnalagadda D, Rivera R, Kennedy G, Mayford M, Chun J
eNeuro 2018 Sep-Oct ;5(5)
A Functionally Defined In Vivo Astrocyte Population Identified by c-Fos Activation in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis Modulated by S1P Signaling: Immediate-Early Astrocytes (ieAstrocytes).
Groves A, Kihara Y, Jonnalagadda D, Rivera R, Kennedy G, Mayford M, Chun J
eNeuro 2018 Sep-Oct ;5(5)
Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 5 (S1PR5) regulates the peripheral retention of tissue-resident lymphocytes.
Evrard M, Wynne-Jones E, Peng C, Kato Y, Christo SN, Fonseca R, Park SL, Burn TN, Osman M, Devi S, Chun J, Mueller SN, Kannourakis G, Berzins SP, Pellicci DG, Heath WR, Jameson SC, Mackay LK
J Exp Med 2022 Jan 3 ;219(1)
Generation of an Lpar1-EGFP Fusion Knock-in Transgenic Mouse Line.
Rivera R, Williams NA, Kennedy GG, Sánchez-Pavón P, Chun J
Cell Biochem Biophys 2021 Sep ;79(3):619-627
Deletion of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate receptor 1 in cardiomyocytes during development leads to abnormal ventricular conduction and fibrosis.
Jorgensen R, Katta M, Wolfe J, Leach DF, Lavelle B, Chun J, Wilsbacher LD
Physiol Rep 2021 Oct ;9(19):e15060
Comparative cellular analysis of motor cortex in human, marmoset and mouse.
Bakken TE, Jorstad NL, Hu Q, Lake BB, Tian W, Kalmbach BE, Crow M, Hodge RD, Krienen FM, Sorensen SA, Eggermont J, Yao Z, Aevermann BD, Aldridge AI, Bartlett A, Bertagnolli D, Casper T, Castanon RG, Crichton K, Daigle TL, Dalley R, Dee N, Dembrow N, Diep D, Ding SL, Dong W, Fang R, Fischer S, Goldman M, Goldy J, Graybuck LT, Herb BR, Hou X, Kancherla J, Kroll M, Lathia K, van Lew B, Li YE, Liu CS, Liu H, Lucero JD, Mahurkar A, McMillen D, Miller JA, Moussa M, Nery JR, Nicovich PR, Niu SY, Orvis J, Osteen JK, Owen S, Palmer CR, Pham T, Plongthongkum N, Poirion O, Reed NM, Rimorin C, Rivkin A, Romanow WJ, Sedeño-Cortés AE, Siletti K, Somasundaram S, Sulc J, Tieu M, Torkelson A, Tung H, Wang X, Xie F, Yanny AM, Zhang R, Ament SA, Behrens MM, Bravo HC, Chun J, Dobin A, Gillis J, Hertzano R, Hof PR, Höllt T, Horwitz GD, Keene CD, Kharchenko PV, Ko AL, Lelieveldt BP, Luo C, Mukamel EA, Pinto-Duarte A, Preissl S, Regev A, Ren B, Scheuermann RH, Smith K, Spain WJ, White OR, Koch C, Hawrylycz M, Tasic B, Macosko EZ, McCarroll SA, Ting JT, Zeng H, Zhang K, Feng G, Ecker JR, Linnarsson S, Lein ES
Nature 2021 Oct ;598(7879):111-119
THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22: G protein-coupled receptors.
Alexander SP, Christopoulos A, Davenport AP, Kelly E, Mathie A, Peters JA, Veale EL, Armstrong JF, Faccenda E, Harding SD, Pawson AJ, Southan C, Davies JA, Abbracchio MP, Alexander W, Al-Hosaini K, Bäck M, Barnes NM, Bathgate R, Beaulieu JM, Bernstein KE, Bettler B, Birdsall NJM, Blaho V, Boulay F, Bousquet C, Bräuner-Osborne H, Burnstock G, Caló G, Castaño JP, Catt KJ, Ceruti S, Chazot P, Chiang N, Chini B, Chun J, Cianciulli A, Civelli O, Clapp LH, Couture R, Csaba Z, Dahlgren C, Dent G, Singh KD, Douglas SD, Dournaud P, Eguchi S, Escher E, Filardo EJ, Fong T, Fumagalli M, Gainetdinov RR, Gasparo M, Gerard C, Gershengorn M, Gobeil F, Goodfriend TL, Goudet C, Gregory KJ, Gundlach AL, Hamann J, Hanson J, Hauger RL, Hay DL, Heinemann A, Hollenberg MD, Holliday ND, Horiuchi M, Hoyer D, Hunyady L, Husain A, IJzerman AP, Inagami T, Jacobson KA, Jensen RT, Jockers R, Jonnalagadda D, Karnik S, Kaupmann K, Kemp J, Kennedy C, Kihara Y, Kitazawa T, Kozielewicz P, Kreienkamp HJ, Kukkonen JP, Langenhan T, Leach K, Lecca D, Lee JD, Leeman SE, Leprince J, Li XX, Williams TL, Lolait SJ, Lupp A, Macrae R, Maguire J, Mazella J, McArdle CA, Melmed S, Michel MC, Miller LJ, Mitolo V, Mouillac B, Müller CE, Murphy P, Nahon JL, Ngo T, Norel X, Nyimanu D, O'Carroll AM, Offermanns S, Panaro MA, Parmentier M, Pertwee RG, Pin JP, Prossnitz ER, Quinn M, Ramachandran R, Ray M, Reinscheid RK, Rondard P, Rovati GE, Ruzza C, Sanger GJ, Schöneberg T, Schulte G, Schulz S, Segaloff DL, Serhan CN, Stoddart LA, Sugimoto Y, Summers R, Tan VP, Thal D, Thomas WW, Timmermans PBMWM, Tirupula K, Tulipano G, Unal H, Unger T, Valant C, Vanderheyden P, Vaudry D, Vaudry H, Vilardaga JP, Walker CS, Wang JM, Ward DT, Wester HJ, Willars GB, Woodruff TM, Yao C, Ye RD
Br J Pharmacol 2021 Oct ;178 Suppl 1:S27-S156
Genomic Mosaicism Formed by Somatic Variation in the Aging and Diseased Brain.
Costantino I, Nicodemus J, Chun J
Genes (Basel) 2021 Jul 14 ;12(7)