Khue Nguyen

Professional Background

I was born and raised in Vietnam and pursued my bachelor’s degree in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology at Washburn University, Kansas. During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to be in Dr. Slawson’s Lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) as part of my K-INBRE project. My research focused on investigating the role of O-GlcNAcylation in cellular function and homeostasis, particularly in liver disease. This experience deepened my passion for science and research, inspiring me to pursue graduate studies at KUMC. I began the IGPBS program in 2023 and officially joined Dr. Ni’s Lab in May 2024 where I study the role of VMP1 in APAP-induced liver injury.

Research

Overview

Acetaminophen (APAP) is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that is commonly used worldwide. Although APAP is considered safe at therapeutic dose, APAP overdose may cause severe liver injury and acute liver failure (ALF). One proposed mechanism to counteract APAP-induced hepatotoxicity is autophagy, a highly conserved intracellular degradation pathway protecting the cell to remove APAP adducts and damaged mitochondria. Vacuole membrane protein 1 (VMP1) is an ER-membrane protein essential for the elongation and closure of autophagosome. Deletion of VMP1 in liver leads to impaired autophagy. My project is to explore further the impact of VMP1 and its cellular mechanism in APAP-induced liver injury.