Chi Dang, MD, PhD

The Johns Hopkins Family Professor in Oncology Research
Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology, Oncology and Pathology
Vice Dean for Research, School of Medicine

Clinical/Academic Interests

Anemias, Bone Marrow Failure, Myeloproliferative Disorders

Research Interests

My laboratory is studying the mechanisms underlying the neoplastic activities of the MYC oncogene.  MYC encodes a transcription factor, c-MYC, that heterodimerizes with Max to bind specific DNA sequences.  We have contributed extensively to the identification of functional domains of the c-MYC protein.  We, and others, have found that Myc/Max binds to the E-box (CANNTG) sequences to activate transcription and other elements to suppress transcription.  We have recently identified thousands putative c-Myc target genes using representational difference analysis and DNA microarray analysis.  These genes are part of a growing list of putative c-Myc target genes that are estimated to involve about 10% of genes.  We have begun to catalog these genes (www.myc-cancer-gene.org) and are using this database and exploiting phylogenetic footprinting (bioinformatics) to predict in vivo c-Myc binding sequences.  The binding regions are validated by a technique we invented, Scanning Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (SChIP).  We are currently defining the roles of five selected genes in Myc-mediated phenotypes.  Our studies have led to the discovery that c-Myc overexpression activates genes encoding proteins involved in glycolysis and contributes to the Warburg effect or aerobic glycolysis, which is characteristic of essentially all solid tumors.  We recently discovered a key role c-Myc in the regulation of mitochondrial homoeostasis.  In addition, we discovered that c-Myc overexpression contributes to genomic instability by uncoupling S and M phases of the cell cycle; this effect renders c-Myc overexpressing cycle sensitive to anti-miotics.  Our work and those of others have led to the concept that MYC is a central regulator of cell proliferation and cellular metabolism.

Education/Training

• BS, Chemistry (highest honors), University of Michigan
• PhD, Chemistry (distinction), Georgetown University
• MD, (Alpha Omega Alpha), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Internship, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Residency, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Fellowship, Hematology-Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, UCSF
  

Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University 
• Assistant Professor of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Johns Hopkins University
• Assistant Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University
• Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
• Director, Division of Hematology, Johns Hopkins University
• Deputy Director of Research, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, 
• Professor of Medicine, Oncology, Pathology, Johns Hopkins University
• Professor of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University
  

Selected Publications