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  1. Home
  2. Our Research
  3. Weihong Song

Weihong Song

Professor
VCH Clinical Title(s)
Jack Brown and Family Professor
Research Focus
Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's DiseaseDown Syndrome
Degrees / Designations

http://www.neuroscience.ubc.ca/song.htm

Contact Info
http://www.neuroscience.ubc.ca/song.htm
weihong@mail.ubc.ca
604-822-8019

Biography

Dr. Weihong Song is recognized internationally as one of the world's leading researchers on Alzheimer's Disease. He is the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Alzheimer’s disease and a Full Professor with tenure at the UBC Department of Psychiatry. He holds the Directorship of Townsend Family Laboratories and serves as the Special Advisor to UBC President on China. His lab has made major contribution to the understanding on how BACE1 and -secretase regulate APP processing and their role in Alzheimer pathogenesis and drug development. His recent work also defined the molecular pathways contributing to AD pathogenesis in Down Syndrome. He is a member of the editorial board of a prestigious medical journal "Journal of Clinical Investigation" and a Handling Editor of "Journal of Neurochemistry". For his contribution in forging crucial Canada-China collaborations on research and education, he received the 2011 "Friendship Award", China’s highest honor for foreign experts. Dr. Song is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Science. Dr. Song was trained as a clinical psychiatrist and molecular neuroscientist. He was admitted to medical school at age of 14 in 1978 and received his medical degree from Chongqing Medical University in 1983. He completed his psychiatry residency and research program with a Master of Medicine degree at West China University of Medical Sciences in 1986. He worked as a chief resident and then as Chief Psychiatrist and a Lecturer of Psychiatry at West China University of Medical Sciences. Dr. Song received a MSc in psychobiology and behavioral genetics from Purdue University in 1993 and a PhD in medical neurobiology and molecular genetics from the Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine. He received postdoctoral training in the Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and the Children's Hospital (1996-99), and worked as an Instructor at Harvard Medical School (1999-2001).

Publications

  • FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology -

    Regulation of RCAN1 translation and its role in oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.

    Wu Y, Song W
  • The Journal of biological chemistry -

    Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) facilitates neuronal apoptosis through caspase-3 activation.

    Sun X, Wu Y, Chen B, Zhang Z, Zhou W, Tong Y, Yuan J, Xia K, Gronemeyer H, Flavell RA, Song W
  • The Journal of experimental medicine -

    Valproic acid inhibits Abeta production, neuritic plaque formation, and behavioral deficits in Alzheimer's disease mouse models.

    Qing H, He G, Ly PT, Fox CJ, Staufenbiel M, Cai F, Zhang Z, Wei S, Sun X, Chen CH, Zhou W, Wang K, Song W
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America -

    Hypoxia facilitates Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis by up-regulating BACE1 gene expression.

    Sun X, He G, Qing H, Zhou W, Dobie F, Cai F, Staufenbiel M, Huang LE, Song W
  • Nature cell biology -

    Presenilins are required for gamma-secretase cleavage of beta-APP and transmembrane cleavage of Notch-1.

    Zhang Z, Nadeau P, Song W, Donoviel D, Yuan M, Bernstein A, Yankner BA
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