• Department of Pathology
  • Pathology Staff
• Department of Laboratory Medicine
  • Laboratory Medicine Staff
• Affiliated Hospitals
  • Moffitt-Long
  • Mount Zion Medical Center
  • San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • San Francisco General
• Faculty
  • Pathology
  • Laboratory Medicine

Research and Clinical Interests

My laboratory investigates the mechanisms by which transcriptional machinery regulates gene expression. One major focus has been to understand the role of a transcriptional cofactor, homeodomain protein kinase 2 (HIPK2), in trophic factor-dependent survival and cell death in sensory and midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. The other focus is to investigate the role of HIPK2 as a novel tumor suppressor that controls cell growth and proliferation by antagonizing -catenin/LEF1-mediated transcription. Our long-term goal is to extend our findings and determine if perturbations of signaling mechanisms of HIPK2 could contribute to the pathogenesis of tumorigenesis and neurodegenerative conditions in humans.

Selected Publications

• Wiggins, A.K., Wei, G., Doxakis, E., Wong, C., Tang, A.A., Zeng, K., Luo, E.J., Neve, R.L., Reichardt, L.F. and Huang, E.J. Interaction of Brn3a and HIPK2 mediates transcriptional repression of sensory neuron survival. J Cell Biol 167 (2): 257-267, 2004.
• Doxakis, E., Huang, E.J. and Davies, A.M. Homeodomain interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) regulates apoptosis in developing sensory and sympathetic neurons. Curr Biol 14(19): 1761-1765, 2004.
• Huang, E.J., Li, H., Tang, A.A., Wiggins, A.K., Neve, R.L., Zhong, W., Jan, L.Y. and Jan, Y.N. Targeted deletion of Numb and Numblike reveals their essential functions in axon arborization. Genes & Dev 19(1): 138-151, 2005. (Cover Art)
• Ishikura, N., Clever, J.L., Bouzamondo Berstein, E., Prusiner, S.B., Huang, E.J. and DeArmond, E.J. Notch-1 activation and dendritic atrophy in prion disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 102, 886-891, 2005.
• Zhang, J. and Huang, E.J. Dynamic expression of neurotrophic factor receptors in postnatal spinal motoneurons and in mouse model of ALS. J Neurobiol 66(8), 882-895, 2006.

Selected Awards

• 1990-91 Frank Lappin Horsfall, Jr. Fellowship, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• 1991 Vincent du Vigneaud Award of Excellence, Cornell University
• 1997-99 Postdoctoral Fellowship for Physicians, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• 1998 & 2004 Weil Award for the best paper in Experimental Neuropathology, AANP Annual Meeting
• 1999 Advanced Career Development Award, Dept of Veterans Affairs
• 2000 Young Investigator Award, NCIRE & SFVAMC
• 2000-07 Merit Award, Dept of Veterans Affairs
• 2000-05 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), Dept of Veterans Affairs
• 2002-07 Independent Scientist Award NINDS, NIH
• 2005 Dean’s Prize for Research, UCSF SOM, Medical Student Mentored: Stephen Ku

• Associate Professor of Pathology (in residence)
• Pathology
• Neuropathology

Specialty Area

Developmental neurobiology and Diagnostic Neuropathology (autopsy and surgical)

Contact Information

• eric.huang2@ucsf.edu
• Phone: 415-476-1946 or 415-221-4810 x2620
• Pager: 415-807-3707
• Fax: 415-750-6947

• 4150 Clement Street
• Pathology Service 113B, VA Medical Center
• San Francisco, CA 94121

Web Site

• http://www.ucsf.edu/neurosc/faculty/...
• http://www.ucsf.edu/bms/faculty/...
• http://www.ncire.org/huang.htm

Other UCSF Organizational Association(s)

• Program in Biological Science (PIBS)
• Neuroscience Graduate Program
• Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Program
• Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases (IND)

Hospital Affiliation(s)

• Moffitt-Long
• Veterans Administration