Academic interests

The Kang Laboratory is studying energy metabolism in human disease to answer the following questions:

1. What are the metabolic changes in endocrine disorders? 

2. What is the mechanisms of metabolic dysfunction in refractory cancer related inflammation ?

3. How do aberrant metabolism is changed by genetic mutation, mitochondrial stress or metabolic stress  in cancer ? 

4. How can we translate our understanding of energy metabolism into novel therapeutics in human disease?

Our research projects include:

1.  Serine metabolism in refractory cancer (Anaplastic thyroid cancer, Pancreatic Cancer) and its implication in cancer therapy

2.  Metabolic Stress or Mitochondrial stress induced response and Mitokine's role in refractory cancer related inflammation

3. Multi-omics data based new integrated signaling pathways in refractory cancer (Anaplastic thyroid cancer, Lung cancer)

4.  Multi-organ communications in cancer cachexia and metabolic disease

Our research approach

 The Kang Laboratory uses multi-omics data from human samples from patients with metabolic disorder or cancer.  Functional studies, such as mouse models, to enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the cellular pathways of cancer metabolism and Cancer cachexia. Our goal is to then translate our research discoveries into the clinic through novel therapeutics targeting in these metabolic pathways.