Grace Guo, PhD

Professor I

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Lab Affiliation: Guo Lab

Education & Training

PhD - Pharmacology and Toxicology - University of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City, KS
MS - Immunology - University of Arkansas Medical Science. Little Rock, AR
MBBS - West China University of Medical Sciences, China
Post-Doctoral Fellowship - Nuclear Receptor and Metabolism - Laboratory of Metabolism, CCR, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD

Research Interests

I have 12 years of experience supervising more than 40 students, summer interns and fellows. Through my faculty positions at U. Kansas and now at Rutgers, I have established myself as a dedicated teacher in higher education. I have served as the Director of the Toxicology, Health, and Environmental Disease high school program for the past 4 years. I have been involved in the Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology as a mentor during this time as well, and recently, as the Deputy Director in 2016. As Deputy Director, I oversee the coordination of the research tracks within the program. I am also in charge of curriculum assessment and development, along with the Chair of the Curriculum Committee, and oversee recruitment efforts. I have devoted my research to nuclear receptors and signaling pathways that are critical for liver toxicity, diseases and metabolism, including farnesoid X receptor (FXR), pregnane X receptor, constitutive androstane receptor and fibroblast growth factor 15/19 (FGF15/19). Our focused research findings include providing a paradigm shift in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanism by which tissue-specific FXR functions to regulate bile acid homeostasis, drug metabolism and transport, non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis, liver and colon carcinogenesis, and liver regeneration. In addition, we are the first laboratory to determine the genome-wide FXR binding in a tissue-specific manner. I have a broad background in the functional characterization of liver and GI diseases in animal models, lipid homeostasis, drug metabolism and transport, as well as their regulation by nuclear hormone receptors and cell signaling pathways. I have published 80 peer-reviewed research and review articles on nuclear receptors and their regulation of liver and intestine functions. I have collaborated and helped scientists across the world to determine FXR and FGF15 function in regulating bile acid and lipid homeostasis. As the PI or Co-I on several NIH funded grants, I laid the ground work by determining the role of intestinal FXR in regulating liver functions. In addition, I have successfully administered the projects, collaborated with other scientists, and remained productive. I have experience in constructing research plans, following timelines, and managing budgets. I have devoted a great amount of effort in serving the scientific community, including reviewing manuscripts and federal and foundation grants. In summary, I have a demonstrated record of successful and productive research in determining nuclear receptors in gut-liver cross talk and liver functions, as well as supervising trainees.

Publications

Awards

2012 - Presidential Poster Award, annual AASLD meeting (2)
2011 - Presidential Poster Award, annual AASLD meeting
2010 - Presidential Poster Award, annual AASLD meeting
2009 - Presidential Poster Award, annual AASLD meeting
2009 - Best Poster, Junior Faculty, annual KUMC Liver Center Symposium
2008 - All-around Winner, annual KUMC Cancer Center Symposium
2005 - BIRCWH Scholarship for Study of Women’s Health
2001 - First Place in Oral Presentation, Student Annual Research Forum, University of Kansas Medical Center