Jason W. Locasale is an American scientist and university professor. His focus is on metabolism.

Jason Locasale
Born
New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materRutgers University (B.A.)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D.)
Harvard University (Postdoctoral Fellowship)
Scientific career
FieldsCancer Research, Metabolism, Metabolomics, Nutrition
InstitutionsDuke University
Academic advisorsLewis C. Cantley

Education edit

Locasale graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with a dual degree in Chemistry and Physics. While completing his undergraduate degree, he received initial training in research in biochemistry and structural biology under Helen Berman. He earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School under Lewis C. Cantley.[1][2]

He is currently an associate professor with tenure at Duke University School of Medicine.[3]

Research edit

Locasale has pioneered the use of methods to study metabolism using primarily liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS),[4] in particular having developed methods to gain insights into numerous biological processes at once.[5] He has made contributions to understanding the role of serine synthesis and one carbon metabolism in cancers,[6][7][8][9][10] defining the quantitative, mechanistic principles of the Warburg Effect[11] and altered glucose metabolism in cancer,[12] and the role of metabolism in mediating chromatin status and epigenetics.[13][14][15] His recent work which has gained widespread public attention[16][17][18][19] has focused on the effects on dietary methionine restriction and diet in general as a therapeutic approach[20][21] to extend lifespan and shape tumor response to therapy.[22][23][24]

His research approaches integrate computational modeling, cell biology, mouse models, and genetic and biochemical experimentation to understand metabolic processes and their contribution to health.[25][non-primary source needed] Currently, his research is in three interconnected areas: (1) Quantitative biology of metabolism, (2) Dietary interventions and metabolic therapeutics in health and cancer, and (3) The mechanistic basis between the interaction of metabolism and epigenetics.[26]

Awards and recognitions edit

Locasale is a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Pathway to Independence Award, the Benjamin Trump Award for Excellence in Cancer Research, and the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award, and the JH Quastell Lectureship at McGill University.[27] He serves on the editorial boards for a number of journals including PLoS Biology, Oncotarget, and Cell Stress,[28][29][26] and has served in advisory roles for a number of companies. He has also maintained advisory roles at a number of federal, private and international scientific agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, and the Israel Science Foundation.[citation needed] He is also widely accomplished in academic mentoring with students and trainees having received the nation's highest honors at the undergraduate, doctoral, and postdoctorals levels[30][31][failed verification].

Locasale has authored over 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals and numerous textbook chapters and patents. In 2019, he was named one of the most influential researchers of the past 10 years by Web of Science.[32][33][34]

References edit

  1. ^ "Jason Locasale: Fighting cancer with chemical complexity and collaboration". The Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  2. ^ "Speaker: Cell Symposia: Metabolites as Signalling Molecules". www.cell-symposia.com. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  3. ^ "Jason Locasale | Duke School of Medicine". medschool.duke.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  4. ^ Liu, Xiaojing; Ser, Zheng; Locasale, Jason W (2014-02-18). "Development and Quantitative Evaluation of a High-Resolution Metabolomics Technology". Analytical Chemistry. 86 (4): 2175–2184. doi:10.1021/ac403845u. ISSN 0003-2700. PMC 3983012. PMID 24410464.
  5. ^ "Cancer Metabolism: A Conversation with Jason Locasale". National Cancer Institute. 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  6. ^ Locasale, Jason W. (August 2013). "Serine, glycine and one-carbon units: cancer metabolism in full circle". Nature Reviews Cancer. 13 (8): 572–583. doi:10.1038/nrc3557. ISSN 1474-1768. PMC 3806315. PMID 23822983.
  7. ^ Gao, Xia; Lee, Katie; Reid, Michael A.; Sanderson, Sydney M.; Qiu, Chuping; Li, Siqi; Liu, Juan; Locasale, Jason W. (2018-03-27). "Serine Availability Influences Mitochondrial Dynamics and Function through Lipid Metabolism". Cell Reports. 22 (13): 3507–3520. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.017. ISSN 2211-1247. PMC 6054483. PMID 29590619.
  8. ^ Locasale, Jason W.; Grassian, Alexandra R.; Melman, Tamar; Lyssiotis, Costas A.; Mattaini, Katherine R.; Bass, Adam J.; Heffron, Gregory; Metallo, Christian M.; Muranen, Taru; Sharfi, Hadar; Sasaki, Atsuo T. (September 2011). "Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase diverts glycolytic flux and contributes to oncogenesis". Nature Genetics. 43 (9): 869–874. doi:10.1038/ng.890. ISSN 1546-1718. PMC 3677549. PMID 21804546.
  9. ^ Reid, Michael A.; Allen, Annamarie E.; Liu, Shiyu; Liberti, Maria V.; Liu, Pei; Liu, Xiaojing; Dai, Ziwei; Gao, Xia; Wang, Qian; Liu, Ying; Lai, Luhua (2018-12-21). "Serine synthesis through PHGDH coordinates nucleotide levels by maintaining central carbon metabolism". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 5442. Bibcode:2018NatCo...9.5442R. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-07868-6. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 6303315. PMID 30575741.
  10. ^ Mehrmohamadi, Mahya; Liu, Xiaojing; Shestov, Alexander A.; Locasale, Jason W. (2014-11-20). "Characterization of the Usage of the Serine Metabolic Network in Human Cancer". Cell Reports. 9 (4): 1507–1519. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2014.10.026. ISSN 2211-1247. PMC 4317399. PMID 25456139.
  11. ^ Liberti, Maria V.; Locasale, Jason W. (March 2016). "The Warburg Effect: How Does it Benefit Cancer Cells?". Trends in Biochemical Sciences. 41 (3): 211–218. doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2015.12.001. ISSN 0968-0004. PMC 4783224. PMID 26778478.
  12. ^ Liberti, Maria V.; Dai, Ziwei; Wardell, Suzanne E.; Baccile, Joshua A.; Liu, Xiaojing; Gao, Xia; Baldi, Robert; Mehrmohamadi, Mahya; Johnson, Marc O.; Madhukar, Neel S.; Shestov, Alexander A. (2017-10-03). "A Predictive Model for Selective Targeting of the Warburg Effect through GAPDH Inhibition with a Natural Product". Cell Metabolism. 26 (4): 648–659.e8. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.08.017. ISSN 1932-7420. PMC 5629112. PMID 28918937.
  13. ^ Mentch, Samantha J.; Mehrmohamadi, Mahya; Huang, Lei; Liu, Xiaojing; Gupta, Diwakar; Mattocks, Dwight; Gómez Padilla, Paola; Ables, Gene; Bamman, Marcas M.; Thalacker-Mercer, Anna E.; Nichenametla, Sailendra N. (2015-11-03). "Histone Methylation Dynamics and Gene Regulation Occur through the Sensing of One-Carbon Metabolism". Cell Metabolism. 22 (5): 861–873. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2015.08.024. ISSN 1550-4131. PMC 4635069. PMID 26411344.
  14. ^ "High-Throughput Epigenetics Analyses". The Scientist Magazine®. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  15. ^ "Potentially reversible changes in gene control 'prime' pancreatic cancer cells to spread: Epigenetic changes, not DNA mutations, drive some metastasis". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  16. ^ "How a dietary change might boost cancer therapy". Medical News Today. 4 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  17. ^ "Vegan diets may help boost cancer treatments". KAMR - MyHighPlains.com. 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  18. ^ Says, Dyljohbar (2019-07-31). "Going vegan 'really can prevent cancer'". The London Economic. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  19. ^ Kahn, Joel (2019-08-05). "A Low Methionine Diet: New Data for Cancer Therapy Favors Plant Foods". Medium. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  20. ^ Hamblin, James (2019-05-20). "You Can't 'Starve' Cancer, but You Might Help Treat It With Food". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  21. ^ "Altering Diet to Enhance Cancer Treatment Response". National Cancer Institute. 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  22. ^ Stern, Adam Philip (2019-06-17). "Feeding the Beast: Could Eating the Right Diet Starve Cancers Like Mine?". Medium. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  23. ^ "Can diet help cancer treatment? Study in mice offers clues". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  24. ^ "Mice fed a low-methionine diet respond better to cancer treatments". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  25. ^ "HOME". Locasale Lab. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  26. ^ a b "Editorial Board". Cell Stress. 1970-01-01. ISSN 2523-0204.
  27. ^ "Deciphering cancer: The intersection of epigenetics, metabolism, and tumorigenesis". Science | AAAS. 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  28. ^ "PLOS Biology: A Peer-Reviewed Open-Access Journal". journals.plos.org. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  29. ^ "Oncotarget | Editorial Board/Editors". www.oncotarget.com. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
  30. ^ "NCI F99/K00 Award". National Cancer Institute. 2015-12-29. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  31. ^ "Student Honors and Laurels for 2019". today.duke.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  32. ^ "School of Medicine Faculty Recognized on 'Highly Cited' List | Duke School of Medicine". medschool.duke.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  33. ^ "Highly Cited Researchers". publons.com. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  34. ^ "Global List of Highly Cited Puts Duke in Top Ten". today.duke.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-25.