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Timothy T Hla, Ph.D.

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Biography
2016
Fellow of the AAAS
2015
MD(honoris causa), Goethe University
2015
Outstanding achievement award, Eicosanoid research foundation
2014
Siegel award for outstanding medical research, Weill Cornell Medical College
2007
Honorary Member, Japanese Biochemical Society
2006
MERIT award, NHLBI, NIH
1999
Established Investigator, AHA
1988 - 1991
Postdoctoral fellowship award, Arthritis Foundation

Overview
Tim Hla's laboratory has been investigating the role of lipid mediators, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and prostanoids in vascular biology and disease. In the 1990s, we cloned the inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and the first S1P receptor. Our work defined how the COX-2 pathway regulates angiogenesis, cancer and inflammatory disease. Recently, we are examining molecular mechanisms by which prostanoids interact with other lipid signaling systems to protect the vascular system and maintain health. Secondly, since our discovery of the S1P receptor, we have been working on how this novel signaling pathway regulates vascular development, homeostasis and is dysregulated in vascular diseases. In addition, our work contributed to the development of S1P receptor inhibitors, which are being used for the treatment of a number of autoimmune diseases. Recently, we discovered that HDL-bound S1P activates vascular S1P receptors to inhibit vascular injury and disease. We also showed that proteins that bind to S1P, such as the HDL-bound apolipoprotein M (ApoM), direct specific biological functions of S1P by activating S1P receptors in unique ways. This mode of signaling, termed as, chaperone-dependent S1P signaling, may be a general mechanism for lipid mediators that are poorly soluble in water. We are also examining novel mechanisms of S1P metabolism, export into the extracellular environment, capture and signaling by novel chaperones, receptor-dependent signaling mechanisms and cross-talk with other cytokine, growth factor signaling pathways. Such mechanistic information is useful not only to achieve a deeper understanding of vascular health and disease but also to develop new therapeutic entities. In fact, our laboratory is developing novel small molecules as well as protein biotherapeutics to modulate heart disease, stroke, autoimmune diseases, eye disease and cancer.

Research
The research activities and funding listed below are automatically derived from NIH ExPORTER and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing items. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
  1. R01EY031715 (HLA, TIMOTHY TUN) May 1, 2021 - Mar 31, 2026
    NIH
    G protein-coupled receptor regulation of transcriptional mechanisms in the retinal vasculature.
    Role: Principal Investigator
  2. R56AG069825 (HLA, TIMOTHY TUN) Sep 15, 2020 - Aug 31, 2021
    NIH
    Sphingolipid signaling in age-associated vascular pathology
    Role: Principal Investigator
  3. R35HL135821 (HLA, TIMOTHY TUN) Jan 18, 2017 - Dec 31, 2023
    NIH
    Mechanisms of sphingolipid signaling in vascular health and disease
    Role: Principal Investigator
  4. Transatlantic Network Grant (Hla/ Betsholtz) Sep 1, 2014 - Aug 30, 2019
    Fondation Leducq
    Sphingolipid mediators in neurovascular biology and disease
    Role: Principle investigator
  5. R13HL117380 (HLA, TIMOTHY TUN) Jan 22, 2013 - Jan 21, 2014
    NIH
    2013 Vascular Cell Biology Gordon Research Conference
    Role: Principal Investigator

Featured Content

Bibliographic
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Funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through its Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, grant number UL1TR002541.