معرفی
Ta Yuan Chang is Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College. His laboratory is located in Vail 304 (HB 7200) in Hanover, NH, where he conducts groundbreaking research on cholesterol metabolism and its implications in human diseases.
Dr. Chang's primary research focuses on acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), an enzyme critical for cholesterol storage. His laboratory identified the first gene encoding ACAT1 through expression cloning and purified the protein to homogeneity. His work demonstrates that inactivating ACAT1 in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and Niemann Pick type C disease can repair disrupted cholesterol-rich microdomains in cell membranes. Current research employs biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, nanotechnology, and medicinal chemistry to develop novel ACAT inhibitors for treating neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.
His laboratory has trained numerous successful scientists who now hold prominent positions at institutions including Mayo Clinic, UCLA, Harvard Medical School, Merck Research Laboratories, and various universities worldwide. Current research directions include identifying active and regulatory sites in ACAT1 and investigating the consequences of ACAT inhibition in macrophages, neurons, microglia, and astrocytes.
