I received my B.S. degree in Chemistry in 2004 and came to the U.S. perusing a Ph.D. in the same year. I became interested in Molecular Biology and Pharmacology when I started IGPBS in 2005. After several rotations, I stayed in Dr. Bruno Hagenbuch’s lab to continue my research on membrane transporters.
The human liver is known to metabolize many hormones and drugs. The first step in this process is to deliver these substances from the blood to hepatocytes. In addition to passive diffusions, there are active uptakes mediated by transporters expressed on the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes. Two proteins in the organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) superfamily, OATP1B1 and OATP1B3, play important roles in this process. Their abilities to transport multiple drugs make them potential sites of drug-drug interactions. Therefore, understanding how these transporters work is important to patients who use multiple medications simultaneously.
My current project is to study the structure- function relationship of OATPs as well as mechanisms and driving force of OATP-mediated transport. I am also interested in the roles that OATPs play in the disposition of persistent chemicals in the environment, such as perfluorinated compounds.
Contact Information
Yi Miao
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics
The University of Kansas Medical Center
MS1018
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: (913) 588-0028
Fax: (913) 588-7501
E-Mail: ymiao @kumc.edu
Updated 9/5/08
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The University of Kansas Medical Center