Bio: Dr. J. Michelle Kahlenberg MD, PhD is the Giles G. Boles MD and Dorothy Mulkey MD Research Professor of Rheumatology Associate Professor (soon to be Professor as of 9/1/2023) of Internal Medicine and Dermatology at the University of Michigan.  She is the Vice Chair for Basic and Translational Research for the Department of Internal Medicine. She completed her BS in Biology (Summa Cum Laude) at Denison University, her MD, PhD, and Internal Medicine training at Case Western Reserve University and her fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Michigan.  She has been running her own laboratory at U-M since 2013. Her clinical work is centered on the care of complicated lupus patients, including those with refractory skin disease. Her research laboratory is funded by multiple NIH (including R01) and foundation awards and combines translational approaches using patient samples and murine models to uncover the mechanisms that drive lupus and other autoimmune diseases. In particular, she is focused on unraveling the pathogenic mechanisms in cutaneous lupus, the factors that drive photosensitivity, and how skin inflammation can influence systemic lupus activity. Recently, she and her collaborator, Johann Gudjonsson, were the first Taubman Institute Innovate Program recipients through which they started the PerMIPA cohort to deeply and longitudinally phenotype lupus and psoriasis patients. She has published >100 papers in top tier journals including Science Translational Medicine, JCI and Nature Immunology. Her work has received institutional accolades and national recognition from the Arthritis National Research Foundation, The Rheumatology Research Foundation, American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Lupus Foundation of America. In addition, she was awarded a PECASE, the top award given by the president of the United States to outstanding early career scientists and engineers, and was recently named a 2022 American College of Rheumatology Henry Kunkel Young Investiagator awardee. In her spare time, she enjoys organic gardening, working on the family farm “EMMA Acres” run by her husband, Mark, and spending time with her husband and children.

Recent Publications:

 Bio: (from his lab website) Faisal joined the University of Michigan Medical School in March 2019 as a Research Fellow to elucidate the innate immune mechanisms of malignant brain tumors. His research demonstrated the existence of a novel miR1983-TLR7-IFNβ circuit that licenses NK cells to kill glioma cells and is under the control of galectin-1. The team recently introduced the concept of oncostreams to elucidate the functions and molecular mechanism underlying the mesenchymal transformation of self-organized dynamic patterns of malignant gliomas. Faisal’s specific research in this project focuses on unraveling the role of collagen signaling and its receptors in glioma oncostreams. Faisal is also investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying self-organization and networks in brain tumors to uncover novel therapeutic targets by employing intravital imaging using laser scanning multi-photon microscopy and ex vivo time-lapse confocal microscopy on 3D explants models of glioma. The long-term goal of his research is to determine potential targets that control brain tumors’ mesenchymal transformation and their interactions with the tumor microenvironment that contribute to intra-tumoral heterogeneity and glioma aggressiveness, and ultimately translate these experimental findings into future clinical therapies.”

Expertise in Intravital Microscopy of brain tumors in live mice using Multiphoton Laser Scanning Microscope (Bruker), Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, FACS, MACS, developing genetically engineered mouse models using sleeping beauty transposon system, Phospho-proteome Explorer Microarray Assays and analysis (Full Moon BioSystems – Protein Expression Profiling) Immunohistochemistry, Immunocytochemistry, Mathematical modeling using MATLAB, Julia Programming, and RStudio and Multiplex Immunofluorescence Spatial Phenotyping using Qupath and CytoMap (Akoya Biosciences: The Spatial Biology Company).

PCR, Transformation, isolation of plasmid, restriction digestion, purification of plasmid DNA, Preparation of competent cells, estimation of RNA and DNA, and isolation of genomic DNA and RNA.

Recent Publications: 

School of Dentistry

Dr. Mishina’s laboratory is interested in functions of BMP signaling during bone development/remodeling and craniofacial development. Several specific projects include mechanisms of how osteoclasts regulate osteoblast functions in a spatiotemporal manner as a downstream event of BMP signaling, cell fate specification mechanisms in cranial neural crest cells towards chondrogenic lineage, impacts of nanofibrous biomaterials as stem cell niche, identification of crossover points between BMP signaling and mechanosensing for bone homeostasis, and investigation of cellular mechanisms of heterotopic bone formation to identify therapeutic options. We fully utilize genetically modified mouse lines in combination of cellular and molecular approaches including single-cell omics to uncover the above mentioned mechanisms.

Recent Publications:

Novel approaches for periodontal tissue engineering.Swanson WB, Yao Y, Mishina Y.Genesis. 2022 Sep;60(8-9):e23499. doi: 10.1002/dvg.23499. Epub 2022 Sep 10.PMID: 36086991 Review.

Roles of osteoclasts in alveolar bone remodeling.Omi M, Mishina Y.Genesis. 2022 Sep;60(8-9):e23490. doi: 10.1002/dvg.23490. Epub 2022 Jun 27.PMID: 35757898 Review.

Expression of Cre recombinase in chondrocytes causes abnormal craniofacial and skeletal development.Qi S, Wang Y, Wei X, Xie D, Mohsen R, Hsieh YL, Mishina Y, Liu F.Transgenic Res. 2022 Jun;31(3):399-411. doi: 10.1007/s11248-022-00308-8. Epub 2022 May 8.PMID: 35526258

Enhanced BMP signaling through ALK2 attenuates keratinocyte differentiation.Yamaguchi H, Shen J, Little DR, Li M, Sozen S, Suzuki K, Mishina Y, Komatsu Y.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2022 Nov 12;629:101-105. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.09.014. Epub 2022 Sep 10.PMID: 36116371

Activation of AcvR1-Mediated Signaling Results in Semilunar Valve Defects.Syed S, Rajderkar S, Mann JM, Hawkins T, Wu B, Zhou B, Sugi Y, Mishina Y, Kaartinen V.J Cardiovasc Dev Dis. 2022 Aug 16;9(8):272. doi: 10.3390/jcdd9080272.PMID: 36005436 Free PMC article.