Jonah Chan, PhD

Professor
Department of Neurology
+1 415 353-4390
Research Description: 

Dr. Jonah R. Chan received his BS in Biochemistry and PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University with Dr. Eric Shooter. Jonah is currently the Debbie and Andy Rachleff Distinguished Professor of Neurology. He is a member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vice Chief in the Division of Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology and Co-Director of the Innovation Program for Remyelination and Repair at UCSF.

The Chan laboratory has a long-standing interest in fundamental glial/neuronal interactions and the molecular mechanisms that regulate myelination. Myelination is one of the most exquisite examples of cell-cell interaction found in nature and functions to maximize the efficiency and velocity of action potentials transmitted throughout the nervous system. While much has been learned about the global determinants that generate myelin-forming cells during development, the Chan laboratory is particularly interested in understanding how local environmental cues control the spatiotemporal regulation of differentiation and myelination, including both molecular and biophysical interactions. Identification of an environment that is conducive for myelination could have important implications for efforts aimed at promoting repair and remyelination in the nervous system.

Current Laboratory Members:

Trung Huynh, BS
Lab Manager
[email protected]

Sarah Raissi, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
[email protected]

Wendy Xin, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
[email protected]

Monique Lillis, BS
Graduate Student
[email protected]

Albert Zhang, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
[email protected]

Sonia Nocera, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
[email protected]

Lahin Lalani, BS
Graduate Student
[email protected]

Irvin Bhangal, BA
Assistant Specialist
[email protected]

Nora Jabassini, BS
Assistant Specialist
[email protected]

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Neuronal/Glial Interactions that Control Myelination

Websites

Publications: 

Insights into the mechanism of oligodendrocyte protection and remyelination enhancement by the integrated stress response.

Glia

Chen Y, Quan S, Patil V, Kunjamma RB, Tokars HM, Leisten ED, Joy G, Wills S, Chan JR, Wong YC, Popko B

MWF of the corpus callosum is a robust measure of remyelination: Results from the ReBUILD trial.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Caverzasi E, Papinutto N, Cordano C, Kirkish G, Gundel TJ, Zhu A, Akula AV, Boscardin WJ, Neeb H, Henry RG, Chan JR, Green AJ

Validating visual evoked potentials as a preclinical, quantitative biomarker for remyelination efficacy.

Brain : a journal of neurology

Cordano C, Sin JH, Timmons G, Yiu HH, Stebbins K, Guglielmetti C, Cruz-Herranz A, Xin W, Lorrain D, Chan JR, Green AJ

Motor learning revamps the myelin landscape.

Nature neuroscience

Xin W, Chan JR