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.

Research Funding

  • September 30, 2009 - August 31, 2024 - Porphyrias Consortium, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U54DK083909
  • September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2022 - Single cell resolution atlas of liver inflammation, Principle Investigator. Sponsor: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sponsor Award ID:
  • January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2021 - Wnt signaling and hepatocyte stem cells in liver homeostasis and cancer, Principle Investigator. Sponsor: Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Sponsor Award ID: CAMS
  • March 15, 2015 - February 29, 2020 - Wnt signaling in hepatocyte homeostasis, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NIDDK, Sponsor Award ID: K08DK101603

Education

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

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

  1. Saberi B, Naik H, Overbey JR, Erwin AL, Anderson KE, Bissell DM, Bonkovsky HL, Phillips JD, Wang B, K Singal A, M McGuire B, Desnick RJ, Balwani M Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Acute Hepatic Porphyrias: Results from the Longitudinal Study of the U.S. Porphyrias Consortium.  View on PubMed
  2. A single-cell transcriptomic atlas characterizes ageing tissues in the mouse.  View on PubMed
  3. Schaum N, Lehallier B, Hahn O, Pálovics R, Hosseinzadeh S, Lee SE, Sit R, Lee DP, Losada PM, Zardeneta ME, Fehlmann T, Webber JT, McGeever A, Calcuttawala K, Zhang H, Berdnik D, Mathur V, Tan W, Zee A, Tan M, Pisco AO, Karkanias J, Neff NF, Keller A, Darmanis S, Quake SR, Wyss-Coray T Ageing hallmarks exhibit organ-specific temporal signatures.  View on PubMed
  4. Balwani M, Sardh E, Ventura P, Peiró PA, Rees DC, Stölzel U, Bissell DM, Bonkovsky HL, Windyga J, Anderson KE, Parker C, Silver SM, Keel SB, Wang JD, Stein PE, Harper P, Vassiliou D, Wang B, Phillips J, Ivanova A, Langendonk JG, Kauppinen R, Minder E, Horie Y, Penz C, Chen J, Liu S, Ko JJ, Sweetser MT, Garg P, Vaishnaw A, Kim JB, Simon AR, Gouya L Phase 3 Trial of RNAi Therapeutic Givosiran for Acute Intermittent Porphyria.  View on PubMed
  5. Alkhani A, Levy CS, Tsui M, Rosenberg KA, Polovina K, Mattis AN, Mack M, Van Dyken S, Wang BM, Maher JJ, Nijagal A Ly6cLo non-classical monocytes promote resolution of rhesus rotavirus-mediated perinatal hepatic inflammation.  View on PubMed
  6. Xu M, Wang H, Wang J, Burhan D, Shang R, Wang P, Zhou Y, Li R, Liang B, Evert K, Utpatel K, Xu Z, Song X, Che L, Calvisi DF, Wang B, Chen X, Zeng Y, Chen X mTORC2 Signaling Is Necessary for Timely Liver Regeneration after Partial Hepatectomy.  View on PubMed
  7. Naik H, Overbey JR, Montgomery GH, Winkel G, Balwani M, Anderson KE, Bissell DM, Bonkovsky HL, Phillips JD, Wang B, McGuire B, Keel S, Levy C, Erwin A, Desnick RJ Evaluating the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scales in acute intermittent porphyria.  View on PubMed
  8. Naik H, Overbey JR, Desnick RJ, Anderson KE, Bissell DM, Bloomer J, Bonkovsky HL, Phillips JD, Wang B, Singal A, Balwani M Evaluating quality of life tools in North American patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria and X-linked protoporphyria.  View on PubMed
  9. Qiao Y, Wang J, Karagoz E, Liang B, Song X, Shang R, Evert K, Xu M, Che L, Evert M, Calvisi DF, Tao J, Wang B, Monga SP, Chen X Axis inhibition protein 1 (Axin1) Deletion-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis Requires Intact ß-Catenin but Not Notch Cascade in Mice.  View on PubMed
  10. Zhao L, Jin Y, Donahue K, Tsui M, Fish M, Logan CY, Wang B, Nusse R Tissue Repair in the Mouse Liver Following Acute Carbon Tetrachloride Depends on Injury-Induced Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling.  View on PubMed
  11. Wang B, Rudnick S, Cengia B, Bonkovsky HL Acute Hepatic Porphyrias: Review and Recent Progress.  View on PubMed
  12. Peng WC, Logan CY, Fish M, Anbarchian T, Aguisanda F, Álvarez-Varela A, Wu P, Jin Y, Zhu J, Li B, Grompe M, Wang B, Nusse R Inflammatory Cytokine TNFa Promotes the Long-Term Expansion of Primary Hepatocytes in 3D Culture.  View on PubMed
  13. Single-cell transcriptomics of 20 mouse organs creates a Tabula Muris.  View on PubMed
  14. Balwani M, Wang B, Anderson KE, Bloomer JR, Bissell DM, Bonkovsky HL, Phillips JD, Desnick RJ Acute hepatic porphyrias: Recommendations for evaluation and long-term management.  View on PubMed
  15. Balwani M, Naik H, Anderson KE, Bissell DM, Bloomer J, Bonkovsky HL, Phillips JD, Overbey JR, Wang B, Singal AK, Liu LU, Desnick RJ Clinical, Biochemical, and Genetic Characterization of North American Patients With Erythropoietic Protoporphyria and X-linked Protoporphyria.  View on PubMed
  16. 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.  View on PubMed
  17. Wang B, Zhao L, Fish M, Logan CY, Nusse R Self-renewing diploid Axin2(+) cells fuel homeostatic renewal of the liver.  View on PubMed
  18. Bissell DM, Wang B Acute Hepatic Porphyria.  View on PubMed
  19. Cascino MD, McNabb B, Gardner DG, Woeber KA, Fox AN, Wang B, Fix OK Acute liver failure with thyrotoxicosis treated with liver transplantation.  View on PubMed
  20. 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.  View on PubMed

Go to UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI