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Michal Zalzman, PhD

Academic Title:

Assistant Professor

Primary Appointment:

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Secondary Appointment(s):

Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

Location:

108 N Greene Street, 002

Phone (Primary):

410-706-7879

Phone (Secondary):

410-706-7886

Education and Training

  • Bar Ilan University, BS, Life Sciences, 1998
  • Tel Aviv University, MS, Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, 2001
  • Tel Aviv University, PhD, Molecular Cell Biology, Stem Cell Research, 2007
  • NIA/National Institutes of Health, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Stem cell Research, Telomere Biology, 2012

Biosketch

Dr. Zalzman is a molecular cell biologist and a stem-cells expert who made significant discoveries related to telomere biology and cellular lifespan. Dr. Zalzman was the first to report that human stem cells can differentiate into insulin-producing cells, a finding which may translate into a potential treatment for type I Diabetes Mellitus. Her findings were published in major leading journals and are heavily cited. More recently, she made a seminal discovery of a novel mechanism that controls cellular lifespan and telomere maintenance in mouse embryonic stem cells. (Zalzman et al., Nature, 2010).

The Zalzman laboratory studies fundamental mechanisms controlling telomere maintenance and cellular lifespan. The Zalzman laboratory generated a stem cell bank from adult tissue sources such as, bone, tonsils and adipose tissue. The technology developed in the laboratory allows for the culture of adult stem cells in combination with 3D printing technology, which can be translated to novel therapies for bone regeneration and reconstruction. Further, the team develops a novel stem cell therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

 

Research/Clinical Keywords

Stem cells, Telomere, Cancer, Parkinson's disease, Conductive hearing loss, Bone reconstruction, 3D Printing, Tissue reconstruction, Regenerative medicine, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry,

Highlighted Publications

NishiyamaA, Xin L, Sharov AA, Thomas M, Mowrer G, Meyers E, Piao Y, Mehta S, Yee S, Nakatake Y,Stagg C, Sharova L, Correa-Cerro LS, Bassey U, Hoang H, Kim E, Tapnio R, Qian Y, Dudekula D, Zalzman M, Li M, Falco G, Yang HT, Lee SL, Monti M, Stanghellini I, Islam MN, Nagaraja R,Goldberg I, Wang W, Longo DL, Schlessinger D, Ko MS. Uncovering early response of gene regulatory networks in ESCs by systematic induction of transcription factors.Cell Stem Cell. 2009. 5(4):420-33.

ZalzmanM, Falco G, Sharova LV, Nishiyama A, Thomas M, Lee SL, Stagg CA, Hoang HG, Yang HT, Indig FE, Wersto RP, Ko MS. Zscan4 regulates telomere elongation and genomic stability in ES cells. Nature. 2010. 464(7290):858-63.

Nishiyama A, Sharov AA, Piao Y, Amano M, Amano T, Hoang HG, Binder BY, Tapnio R, Bassey U, Malinou JN, Correa-Cerro LS, Yu H, Xin L, Meyers E, Zalzman M, Nakatake Y, Stagg C, Sharova L, Qian Y, Dudekula D, Sheer S, Cadet JS, Hirata T, Yang HT, Goldberg I, Evans MK, Longo DL, Schlessinger D, Ko MS. Systematic repression of transcription factors reveals limited patterns of gene expression changes in ES cells. Sci Rep. 2013. 3:1390

Hwang B, Jin J, Gao Y, Shi G, Madabushi A, Yan A, Guan X, Zalzman M, Nakajima S, Lan L, and Lu A. SIRT6 protein deacetylase interacts with MYH DNA glycosylase, APE1 endonuclease, and Rad9–Rad1–Hus1 checkpoint clamp. BMC-Mol Bio. 2015. 16(1):12.

Cherok E, Xu S, Li S, Das S, Meltzer WA, Zalzman M, Wang C, Karbowski M. Novel regulatory roles of Mff and Drp1 in E3 ubiquitin ligase MARCH5-dependent degradation of MiD49 and Mcl1 and control of mitochondrial dynamics. Mol Biol Cell. 2017. 28(3):396-410.

Khatri R, Arad M, Ortlip T, Portney BA, Meltzer WA, Diaconu S, Silipino LE, Wang Y, Kaetzel DM, Taylor RJ, Zalzman M. Harvesting multipotent progenitor cells from a small sample of tonsillar biopsy for clinical applications. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2017. 8(1):174.

Portney BA, Khatri R, Meltzer WA, Mariano JM, Zalzman M. ZSCAN4 is negatively regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF20. Biochem Biophy Res Commun. 2018. S0006-291X(18)30392-9. [Epub ahead of print]

 

 

 

Grants and Contracts

NIAMS/NIH R01 AR070819 - PI

NINDS/ NIH R21 NS095088 - PI

NIGMS/NIH R01 R01 GM118837 – Co-I