[YSM_Structural_Biology_Seminar_Series] Ji Sun's visit

[Zhang, Jack]

Dear colleagues,

Dr. Ji Sun from St. Jude is visiting Yale this Friday. He will give an informal seminar talk titled “Structural Basis of LRRK2 Activation- a novel molecular paradigm of kinase spatial regulation”, in Bass 405, at 11 AM.

Dr. Ji Sun stood out as one of the most extraordinary colleagues during our time at IBP. From the moment we embarked on our scientific journeys, I was certain that his remarkable intellect and passion would propel him to become a highly accomplished scientist - a prediction that has been beautifully realized. Ji earned his doctorate at the University of Washington (with Ning Zhen), and subsequently furthered his postdoctoral research work in Rod MacKinnon’s lab at Rockefeller.

Dr. Sun's reputation in the broad field of structural biology is truly exceptional. His remarkable discoveries have made groundbreaking contributions to our scientific understanding, including a series of high-resolution, high-impact protein structures. Notably, he solved the first atomic model of LRRK2 (published in Cell, 2021), as well as highly impressive atomic models of IFT-A/B train (published in Cell Research, 2023), and several other important membrane protein complexes.

Exemplifying both passion and proficiency in his scientific pursuits, Dr. Sun's track record is extraordinary. Upon establishing his lab at St. Jude, he made an impressive debut by publishing his laboratory's first paper in the prestigious journal NSMB as the ‘sole author’. This remarkable achievement surprised and inspired all his peers, highlighting his unique blend of dedication, intellect, and innovative thinking.

In his talk this Friday, he will present some very impressive findings on the molecular mechanism of LRRK2, in addition to his recent work in Cell. During the past couple of decades, laboratories across the globe, including some of our former colleagues at the Institute of Biophysics (since 10+ ago without any luck/success, as far as I know), have wrestled with the complex challenge of decoding the structure of LRRK2, a crucial puzzle piece in the battle against Parkinson's disease. Despite persistent efforts, substantial progress remained elusive until Dr. Sun's groundbreaking discovery. His seminar at Yale will delve into the journey and the potential real-world implications of his work on LRRK2, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of cutting-edge structural biology and potential therapeutic applications.

In addition, Dr. Sun has recently started working on ciliary structures, and has solved several incredible structures in this system including IFT-A/B train, if anyone in this field is also interested.

Best,
Kai (Jack)

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