SUMMARY
The research program of Ming-Fen Ho, Ph.D., centers around the use of multi-omics to identify biomarkers associated with individual variation in response to drugs used to treat substance use disorders. Dr. Ho also seeks to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Dr. Ho applies cutting-edge induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology to generate "minibrains" in a culture dish to mimic human brain structures. This novel initiative could help researchers understand how the human brain responds to therapeutic agents. Such knowledge could be a transformational advance in the field and have implications for many domains of neuroscience research and education — and ultimately patient care.
Focus areas
- Create a library of patient-derived iPSCs as a model system for studying neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Integrate multi-omics data to identify biomarkers for disease risk and treatment response in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Use iPSC-derived brain organoids to investigate brain function changes in neuropsychiatric disorders at the molecular, cellular and functional levels.
Significance to patient care
The human brain is amazingly complex. Minibrains in a culture dish could provide new insight into distinct brain cell types and molecular changes related to how diseases develop and respond to treatment. Such insight could allow healthcare professionals to more precisely diagnose and treat many types of neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction.
Single-cell sequencing is a new and powerful technology. The application of single-cell sequencing of minibrains is an unbiased research tool that can show how people respond to specific cell types and drugs. This allows Dr. Ho to find meaningful biological information in a sea of big data and uncover new biological mechanisms.
Professional highlights
- American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology:
- Member, Early Career Committee, 2022-2026.
- New Investigator Award, 2021.
- NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, 2024.
- American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics:
- Presidential Trainee Award, 2019.
- Jason Morrow Trainee Award, 2018.
- Presidential Trainee Award, 2018.
- Presidential Trainee Award, 2015.
- Presidential Trainee Award, 2014.