Jiameng Sun

Program: Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology

Current advisor: Brian J. DeBosch, MD, PhD

Undergraduate university: University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2020

Enrollment year: 2020

Research summary

My thesis research focuses on studying the metabolic function of a canonical circadian gene Period 1 in hepatocytes under different diet conditions and metabolic diseases.

Graduate publications
Sun J, DeBosch BJ. 2025 Reciprocal oscillation and host-microbial communication in liver metabolic control. Gut Microbes, 17(1):2545413

Adams JA, Zhang Y, Sun J, Tilston-Lunel A, Higgins CB, Heitmeier M, Ballentine S, Tycksen E, Dolle RE, Hruz PW, DeBosch BJ. 2025 Targeting hepatocyte-specific SLC2A8 blocks hepatic steatosis and dissociates TCA cycle flux inhibition from glutamine anaplerosis. Hepatol Commun, 9(10)::e0810. PMCID: PMC12456581

Sun J, Higgins CB, Adams JA, Zhang Y, Kelly SC, Kim HJ, DeBosch BJ. 2025 Dimorphic regulation of time-restricted feeding effects by hepatocyte Period 1. Mol Metab, 102():102270. PMCID: PMC12597071

Zhang Y, Sun J, Wasserman HD, Adams JA, Higgins CB, Kelly SC, Lantier L, DeBosch BJ. 2024 A Structure-function Analysis of Hepatocyte Arginase 2 Reveals Mitochondrial Ureahydrolysis as a Determinant of Glucose Oxidation. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol, 17(5):801-20. PMCID: PMC10966292

Maestas MM, Ishahak M, Augsornworawat P, Veronese-Paniagua DA, Maxwell KG, Velazco-Cruz L, Marquez E, Sun J, Shunkarova M, Gale SE, Urano F, Millman JR. 2024 Identification of unique cell type responses in pancreatic islets to stress. Nat Commun, 15(1):5567. PMCID: PMC11220140

Sun J, Zhang Y, Adams JA, Higgins CB, Kelly SC, Zhang H, Cho KY, Johnson UG, Swarts BM, Wada SI, Patti GJ, Shriver LP, Finck BN, Herzog ED, DeBosch BJ. 2024 Hepatocyte Period 1 dictates oxidative substrate selection independent of the core circadian clock. Cell Rep, 43(10):114865. PMCID:

Zhang Y, Higgins CB, Tica S, Adams JA, Sun J, Kelly SC, Zong X, Dietzen DJ, Pietka T, Ballentine SJ, Shriver L, Patti G, Cao Y, DeBosch BJ. 2024 Hierarchical tricarboxylic acid cycle regulation by hepatocyte arginase 2 links the urea cycle to oxidative metabolism. Cell Metab, 36(9):2069-2085.e8. PMCID:

Higgins CB, Adams JA, Ward MH, Greenberg ZJ, Milewska M, Sun J, Zhang Y, Chiquetto Paracatu L, Dong Q, Ballentine S, Li W, Wandzik I, Schuettpelz LG, DeBosch BJ. 2023 The tetraspanin transmembrane protein CD53 mediates dyslipidemia and integrates inflammatory and metabolic signaling in hepatocytes. J Biol Chem, 299(2):102835. PMCID: PMC9900517