Bruce Wang, MD

Assistant Professor in Residence, Div. of Gastroenterology, UCSF

Cancer Center Program Memberships

Cancer Genetics

Research Summary

My lab studies how the different cell types in the liver, in particular the hepatocyte, are generated during development, patterned and maintained during adulthood, and regenerate after injury. Our long-term goals are to improve the understanding of liver disease pathophysiology and develop novel methods of treatment for liver diseases, including cell replacement therapy. Currently, we have two major research focuses: 1) understanding the biology of adult hepatocyte stem cells and 2) developing a liver cell atlas. We take innovative and integrated approaches to address these two areas using the tools of stem cell biology, developmental biology, genomics and tissue engineering.

I also study the porphyrias, a group of inherited diseases related to defects in heme synthesis pathway. I am a member of the Porphyrias Consortium, a NIH sponsored Rare Disease Clinical Research Consortium. The purpose of the network is to integrate translational studies of the porphyrias with clinical trials testing new therapeutics.

Education

Stanford University, B.A.S., 06/2000, Philosophy, Biological Sciences
University of California San Francisco, MD, 06/2007, Medicine

Professional Experience

2004-2006
Research Fellow, Hepatology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute/UCSF
2007-2008
Intern, Internal Medicine, UCSF
2009-2009
Resident, Internal Medicine, UCSF
2009-2014
Clinical Fellow, Gastroenterology, UCSF
2011-2014
Postdoctoral Fellow, Developmental Biology, Stanford University
2014-2016
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Gastroenterology, UCSF
2017-present
Assistant Professor in Residence, Gastroenterology, UCSF

Honors & Awards

2004-2005
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Training Fellowship for Medical Students
2005-2006
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Training Fellowship for Medical Students Continued Research Support
2005-2007
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Training Fellowship for Medical Students Continued Medical Education Support
2006
Dean’s Prize in Research, University of California San Francisco
2007-2014
Molecular Medicine Fellow, University of California San Francisco
2009-2010
Clinical Fellow Award, UCSF Gastroenterology Division
2016-2021
Career Award for Medical Scientists, Burroughs Wellcome Fund

Selected Publications

Gou EW, Balwani M, Bissell DM, Bloomer JR, Bonkovsky HL, Desnick RJ, Naik H, Phillips JD, Singal AK, Wang B, Keel S, Anderson KE. Pitfalls in Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin Measurement for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Protoporphyrias. Clin Chem. 2015 Dec; 61(12):1453-6.
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Wang B, Zhao L, Fish M, Logan CY, Nusse R. Self-renewing diploid Axin2(+) cells fuel homeostatic renewal of the liver. Nature. 2015 Aug 13; 524(7564):180-5.
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Bissell DM, Wang B. Acute Hepatic Porphyria. J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2015 Mar; 3(1):17-26.
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Cascino MD, McNabb B, Gardner DG, Woeber KA, Fox AN, Wang B, Fix OK. Acute liver failure with thyrotoxicosis treated with liver transplantation. Endocr Pract. 2013 May-Jun; 19(3):e57-60.
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Malato Y, Naqvi S, Schürmann N, Ng R, Wang B, Zape J, Kay MA, Grimm D, Willenbring H. Fate tracing of mature hepatocytes in mouse liver homeostasis and regeneration. J Clin Invest. 2011 Dec; 121(12):4850-60.
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Wang B, Dolinski BM, Kikuchi N, Leone DR, Peters MG, Weinreb PH, Violette SM, Bissell DM. Role of alphavbeta6 integrin in acute biliary fibrosis. Hepatology. 2007 Nov; 46(5):1404-12.
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Wang B, Dhaliwal G, Sleisenger MH. Six decades of progress and change in hospital medicine, 1947-2007. Pharos Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Med Soc. 2007; 70(1):10-5.
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Jakubowski A, Ambrose C, Parr M, Lincecum JM, Wang MZ, Zheng TS, Browning B, Michaelson JS, Baetscher M, Baestcher M, Wang B, Bissell DM, Burkly LC. TWEAK induces liver progenitor cell proliferation. J Clin Invest. 2005 Sep; 115(9):2330-40.
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Winter CG, Wang B, Ballew A, Royou A, Karess R, Axelrod JD, Luo L. Drosophila Rho-associated kinase (Drok) links Frizzled-mediated planar cell polarity signaling to the actin cytoskeleton. Cell. 2001 Apr 6; 105(1):81-91.
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