Michael Tsang, Ph.D.
- Professor
Research in Dr. Tsang’s lab has focused on the role of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) signaling in zebrafish development. Dr. Tsang’s research previously identified and characterized a number of genes involved in modulating Ras/MAPK signaling. More recently, his lab has focused on chemical biology studies with the use of zebrafish for high throughput whole organism drug screens. For these studies, a transgenic zebrafish line was generated to detect active FGF signaling. Using this approach in a whole organism screen, BCI was identified as a small molecule inhibitor of Dual Specificity Phosphatase 6 (Dusp6), a protein involved in attenuating Ras/MAPK signaling. BCI was shown to be an allosteric inhibitor of Dusp6 and to enhance adult heart regeneration in zebrafish.
Another area of research in Dr. Tsang’s lab is using zebrafish as a model for human congenital heart disease and in understanding the early events that establish left-right patterning.
Education & Training
- BSc. (Hons) Pharmacology, University College Dublin, Ireland 1988-1992
- Ph.D. in Pharmacology, University College Dublin, Ireland 1992-1996
- Post-Doctoral Training, NICHD/NIH, Bethesda, MD. USA. 1997-2004