Philip Cy Wong, Ph.D.

Headshot of Philip Cy Wong
  • Professor of Pathology

Research Interests

Alzheimer's disease; ALS-FTD and Inclusion Body Myositis ...read more

Background

Dr. Philip Wong is a professor of pathology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Dr. Wong’s team takes a molecular/cellular approach, including transgenic, gene targeting, and RNAi strategies in mice, to develop models that facilitate their understanding of pathogenesis of AD and ALS-FTD as well as the identification and validation of novel targets for mechanism-based therapeutics. 

He received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cellular and molecular biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Biological Chemistry. Dr. Wong joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1994.

Dr. Wong is a member of the Society of Neuroscience and a member of the editorial board for Molecular Neurodegeneration. Dr. Wong’s work has been recognized with the 2004 Zenith Fellow’s Award from the Alzheimer’s Association and the 2007 MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research in AD.

...read more

Titles

  • Professor of Pathology
  • Professor of Neuroscience

Departments / Divisions

Education

Degrees

  • Ph.D.; University of Western Ontario (Canada) (1989)

Additional Training

  • Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 1993, Cellular/Molecular Biology

Research & Publications

Research Summary

The overarching themes of the Wong lab focus on the biology and pathobiology of an RNA splicing factor termed TDP-43 (TAR DNA/RNA binding protein 43kDa) that regulate the inclusion of cryptic exons, the loss of which underlies the pathogenic mechanism of several human age-related degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementia (ADRD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) as well as Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM).  

Lab

The focus of the Wong’s lab is to clarify the main problem underlying Alzhemer's disease and related dementia using state-of-the-art technologies with the goal of developing appropriate therapies for these disorders.

Lab Website: Philip Wong Lab

Technology Expertise Keywords

Alzheimer's disease, ALS, FTD, TDP-43, cryptic exon, biomarker, mouse models

Selected Publications

View all on PubMed

Chiang, P., Ling, J., Jeong, Y.H., Price, D.L., Aja, S.M. & Wong, P.C. (2010). Deletion of TDP-43 down-regulates Tbc1d1, a gene linked to obesity, and alters body fat metabolism. PNAS, 107(37), 16320-16324. PMC2941284

Ling, J.P., Pletnikova, O., Troncoso, J.C. & Wong, P.C. (2015). TDP-43 repression of nonconserved cryptic exons is compromised in ALS-FTD. Science, 349(6248), 650-655. PMC4825810

Donde A, Sun M, Ling JP, Braunstein KE, Pang B, Wen X, Cheng X, Chen L and Wong PC (2019). Splicing repression is a major function of TDP 43 in motor neurons. Acta Neuropathologica July 22, (doi.org/10.1007/s00401-019-02042-8). PMC6802294

Li, T., Braunstein K.E., Zhang, J., Lau, A., Sibener, L., Deeble, C., Wong, P.C. (2016). The neuritic plaque facilitates pathological conversion of tau in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Nature Communications, 7, 12082. PMC4932197

Britson KA, Ling JP, Braunstein KE, Montagne J, Kastenschmidt J, Tsao W, Russel1 KA, Reed N, Wagner KR, Ostrow LW, Corse AM, Mammen AL, Villalta A, Larman HB, Wong PC* and Lloyd TE*: Loss of TDP-43 function and rimmed vacuoles persist after T cell depletion in a xenograft model of sporadic inclusion body myositis. Science Translational Medicine 14, eabi9196, January 19, 2022

Contact for Research Inquiries

Department of Pathology
720 Rutland Avenue
558 Ross
Baltimore, MD 21205-2109 map

Academic Affiliations & Courses

Graduate Program Affiliation

Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program

Neuroscience Graduate Program

Pathobiology

Courses and Syllabi

  • Pathobiology for Graduate Students: Neuropathology (ME300.715)
    Johns Hopkins Medicine

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • Zenith Fellows Award, Alzheimer’s Association, 2004
  • Teacher of the Year Award (Pathobiology Graduate Program, Department of Pathology, 2004
  • Cal Ripken/Lou Gehrig Fund for Neuromuscular Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 1997
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Muscular Dystrophy Association, 1990
  • Leadership and Excellence in Alzheimer's Disease (LEAD) Award, National Institute of Aging, 1994
  • CART Fund for Alzheimer’s disease research, Rotary CART, 2002

Memberships

  • Society for Neuroscience, 1995

Professional Activities

  • , Graduate Pathobiology Curriculum Committee, 2002
  • , American Federation for Aging Research, 1999
  • , Alzheimer’s Association, 1999
  • Ad hoc committee for Faculty Promotion, Department of Pathology, 2001
  • Admissions Committee, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, 2002
  • Advisory Board, Rodent Research, 2001
  • Chair, Division of Neuropathology, 2004
  • Editorial board, Neuro-Signals, 2001
  • Molecular Pathology Seminar Series” Committee, Pathology Department, 1997
  • National Health and Medical Research Council, 1999
  • Operating Committee, Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at JHMI, 2003
  • Policy Committee, CMM, 2002
  • Research Advisory Committee, Division of Neuropathology, 2005
  • Research grant review panel, Canadian Institute of Health, 2006
  • Section Editor, Drugs Discovery Today: Disease Models, 2003
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