Research in the Ma lab

Dr. Junfeng Ma’s research team is mainly focused on the study of proteins and their post-translational modifications (PTMs) in physiology and pathology. We are very interested in the characterization of protein glycosylation, especially O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (i.e., O-GlcNAcylation), by using multidisciplinary approaches. Specifically, we are devoted to 1) developing novel chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods for precision proteomics and 2) exploring the functional roles of protein O-GlcNAcylation in metabolic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases) by using a variety of methods including proteomics, biochemistry and molecular biology techniques.

Besides basic research, we look forward to conducting translational research for the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutics for precision medicine.