معرفی
Seungil Ro, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology & Cell Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and serves as Director of the Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology Graduate Program since 2019. His laboratory investigates microRNA-mediated control of metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases, translating findings into therapeutic strategies through the biotech startup RosVivo Therapeutics Inc.
Education
- Ph.D., Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, 2002
- M.S., Biological Sciences, California State University, Sacramento, 1999
- M.S., Molecular Biology, Wonkwang University, Korea, 1994
- B.S., Molecular Biology, Wonkwang University, Korea, 1992
Research Interests
Dr. Ro’s research is centered on elucidating the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gut neuromuscular disorders, and COVID-19. His team has identified anti-diabetic miRNAs that restore β-cell function, improve insulin sensitivity, and reverse obesity and hepatic steatosis in animal models. Parallel work has uncovered anti-coronavirus miRNAs that inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses while dampening pro-inflammatory cytokine storms. These discoveries are progressing toward clinical translation through pre-clinical studies and industry partnerships.
Scientific Awards & Honors
- $2 million grant (2018) for breakthrough diabetes research – Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development
- U.S. Patent 6,340,748 – Promoter of the tomato expansion gene LeExp-1 (issued 2002)
- U.S. Provisional Patent – MiR-10 mimic and targets for diabetes and GI motility disorders (2019)
- PCT International Patent WO/2020/219872 – Anti-diabetic miRNAs (with Rajan Singh & Se Eun Ha)
Advising & Funding
Dr. Ro has mentored numerous graduate students and post-doctoral fellows and holds continuous NIH and state funding. His 2018 $2 million award supports pre-clinical development of miRNA therapeutics, and RosVivo Therapeutics has secured Series A financing for clinical translation.
Laboratory & Team
The Ro laboratory is located in the Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM L-207 E) on the Reno campus. Core team includes Research Assistant Professor Se Eun Ha, post-doctoral fellows Rajan Singh, Lai (Lisa) Wei, and Brian Jorgensen, graduate students, a lab manager, and undergraduate researchers. The lab maintains three public UCSC genome browsers—Smooth Muscle Genome, Transcriptome, and Methylome Browsers—serving as global resources for the smooth-muscle research community.