Download education - Perelman School of Medicine

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Curriculum Vitae
MEDA MICHIKO HIGA
ADDRESS:
301A Johnson Pavilion
3610 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4215
215-746-6756, lab
801-953-9686, cell
[email protected]
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Department of Oncological Sciences
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
1999 - 2006
B.A. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
University of California, Santa Cruz
1994 - 1998
AWARDS AND HONORS
2008 – present
IRACDA PennPORT Postdoctoral Fellow
Keystone Symposia Minority Travel Scholarship
2004, 2008
American Society for Cell Biology Minority Affairs Committee and Predoctoral Travel Grants
2006
NIH Genetics Training Grant, University of Utah
2002 - 2005
Regents Scholar, University of California, Santa Cruz
1994 - 1998
Academic Excellence Honors Program (ACE), University of California, Santa Cruz
1994-1997
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Guest Lecturer, Bio. 102, General Biology II, Rutgers-Camden University, Camden, NJ
Spring 2008
Teaching Assistant, Biol. 5215, Advanced Cell Biology Laboratory, University of Utah
Fall 2001
Teaching Assistant, Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP), University of Utah
Summer 2000
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral researcher, Laboratory of Dr. Robert Doms
Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
04/2007 – present
My postdoctoral research focuses on the cell biology of Hantaviruses in the family Bunyaviridae. Hantaviruses are
rodent-born viruses that can be transmitted to humans and result in two highly pathogenic diseases, hemorrhagic fever
with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The objectives of my research are to better
understand the cellular interactions of Sin Nombre Virus and Puumala Virus. My specific aims are to further
characterize the mechanism of cell entry, understand viral cell tropism, and identify host protein interactions including
the glycoprotein receptor(s).
Ph.D. Candidate, Laboratory of Dr. Katharine Ullman
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
1999 - 2006
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My doctoral thesis research focused on understanding domain-specific function of the nuclear pore protein, Nup153.
Specifically, biosensor experiments and structural and chemical shift analysis via NMR were used to examine the
interaction between the zinc finger domain of Nup153 and the small GTPase Ran. Single zinc fingers within the zinc
finger domain of Nup153 were able to bind Ran with micromolar affinity, and the binding interface on the zinc finger
surface was dependent on a three amino acid signature motif. Interestingly, the zinc finger module had similar
affinities for GDP- and GTP-bound Ran, even though the nucleotide bound to Ran results in two distinct
conformations for this protein. This research has laid the groundwork for understanding how this domain interacts
with other partner proteins, and potentially regulates function throughout the cell cycle.
Molecular Biology Technician
Agilent Technologies (formerly Hewlett-Packard Laboratories), Palo Alto, CA
Research Intern, Laboratory of Dr. Cynthia L. Jackson
The Leadership Alliance Summer Research Program, Brown University
1998 - 1999
Summer 1997
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
“Characterization of the Ran-binding zinc finger domain of Nup153”
Rutgers-Camden University, Camden, NJ
02/2008
“Characterization of the Ran-binding zinc finger domain of Nup153”
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS), Tampa, FL
10/2006
“Nuclear pore proteins and golgi machinery: a concerted effort to regulate the cell cycle”
Presented to students at the University of California, Santa Cruz
11/2003
“The Human Genome: Mapping New Markers to a Physical Contig of Chromosome 9p13”
07/1997
Presented at the Summer Research Programs at Brown University, Providence, RI and the Leadership Alliance
Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, New York University, New York, NY
PUBLICATIONS
Higa, M.M., Ullman, K.S. Nup153. UCSD-Nature Molecule Pages (2008). (doi:10.1038/mp.a003702.01).
Higa, M.M., Alam, S.L., Sundquist, W.E., and Ullman, K.S. 2007. Molecular characterization of the Ran-binding
zinc finger domain of Nup153. Journal of Biological Chemistry 282: 17090-17100.
Higa, M.M., Ullman, K.S., and Prunuske, A.J. 2006. Studying nuclear disassembly in vitro using Xenopus egg
extract. Methods 39: 294-290.
ABSTRACTS
Higa, M.M., Hooper, J.W., and Doms, R.W. “Analysis of Puumala and Sin Nombre virus entry using a pseudovirion
system”, Keystone Symposium on the Cell Biology of Virus Entry, Replication, and Pathogenesis, Victoria, B.C.,
April 2008.
Higa, M.M., Alam, S.L., Sundquist, W.E., and Ullman, K.S. “Molecular characterization of the Ran-binding zinc
finger domain of Nup153” American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA., December 2006.
Higa, M.M., Prunuske, A.J., Liu, J., Elgort, S.W., Chu, P., and Ullman KS. “Characterizing the regulation of nuclear
envelope breakdown at mitosis by nuclear pore proteins” American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting,
Washington, D.C., December 2004.
Higa, M.M., Liu, J., Prunuske, A.J., Fager, A.M., and Ullman, KS. “ Golgi machinery functions in nuclear envelope
breakdown and is recruited by the nucleoporin Nup153” Keystone Symposia on the Golgi Apparatus and Secretory
Pathway of Eukaryotic Cells, Breckenridge, CO., January 2004.
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Higa, M.M., Mills, D.R., and Jackson, C.L. “The Human Genome: Mapping New Markers to a Physical Contig of
Chromosome 9p13”, American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., December 1997.
LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences
Postdoctoral Committee Member
Leadership Training Program
Diversity Committee Chair, Biomedical Postdoctoral Council
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
2007 – present
10/2006
2007 – present
Student Advisory Committee Representative, Department of Oncological Sciences
University of Utah
2004 - 2005
Graduate Student Representative, Molecular Biology Program
University of Utah
2000 – 2001
MEMBERSHIPS IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS)
The Leadership Alliance
American Society for Cell Biology
2000 - present
1997 - present
1997 - 2007