Eunjin Oh, Ph.D.

After my doctoral training in Pusan, South Korea, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Debbie Thurmond at Indiana University, initially as a postdoctoral fellow (American Heart Association-funded fellow), and subsequently was promoted to Assistant Research Professor in the department of Pediatrics at Indiana University. For past twelve years, I have built a long history of research in the biomedical sciences, predominantly in the area of diabetes. My main research focus has been on SNARE (Soluble NSF Attachment protein Receptor) proteins which play essential roles in cellular exocytosis and their binding partners, which are involved in the mobilization and trafficking of intercellular granules such as insulin granules in the pancreatic islet beta cells, as well as GLUT4 containing vesicles in the skeletal muscle and fat.

I have expertise in performing pre-clinical in vivo studies using animal models of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, such as diabetic mouse models, tissue specific transgenic and classic/conditional knockout mouse models. Recently, I was funded as an independent investigator through a Showalter Trust Grant from Indiana University in order to study new promising biomarker for treatment of type 2 diabetes. In addition, I obtained a clinical research certificate in IUPUI to support clinical studies.

To date, I have published 10 first author manuscripts in journals such as Cell Metabolism, Journal of Cell Biology, Diabetes, JCEM and JBC with an additional 17 co-author manuscripts.

• Oh E., Miller R.A., and Thurmond D.C. (2015) Syntaxin4 overexpression ameliorates effects of aging and high fat diet on glucose control and extends lifespan. Cell Metab. 22(3) 499-507.
• Thurmond D.C., Oh E., and Miller R.A. (2015) Potential site effects and transgene expression discrepancies in mouse lifespan studies. Cell Metab. 22(3) 346-347.
• Blue E.K., Ballman K., Boyle F., Oh E., Kono T., Thurmond D.C., Evans-Molina C., and Haneline L.S. (2014) Fetal hyperglycemia and a high fat diet contribute to aberrant glucose tolerance and hematopoiesis in adulthood. Pediatrics Res. 77(2):316-325.
• Oh E., Stull N.D., Mirmira R.G., and Thurmond D.C. (2014) Syntaxin 4 upregulation improves islet function and transplantation success. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 99(5):E866-870.
• Ramalingam L., Oh E., and Thurmond D.C. (2014) Doc2b enrichment enhances glucose homeostasis via potentiation of insulin secretion and peripheral insulin sensitivity. Diabetologia 57(7):1476-84.
• Ramalingam L., Yoder S.M., and Oh E., and Thurmond D.C. (2014) Munc18c:  A Controversial Regulator of Peripheral Insulin Action. Trends Endocrinol Metab S1043-2760(14). # invited review
• Ramalingam L., Oh E., and Thurmond D.C. (2013) Novel roles for insulin receptor (IR) in adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells via new and unexpected substrates. Cell Mol Life Sci. 70:2815-2834 # invited review
• Oh E., Kalwat M.A., Kim M.J., Verhage M., and Thurmond D.C. (2012). Munc18-1 Regulates First-Phase Insulin Release by Promoting Granule Docking to Multiple Syntaxin Isoforms. J Biol Chem. 287(31):25821-33.
• Ramalingam L., Oh, E., Yoder S.M., Brozinick J.T., Kalwat M.A., Groffen A.J., Verhage M., and Thurmond D.C.  (2012). Doc2b is essential for glucose homeostasis in vivo via its Munc18c-sequestering action. Diabetes 61:2424-2432.
• *Jewell, J.L., * Oh, E., Ramalingam, L., Kalwat, M., Tagliabracci, V., Tackett, L., Elmendorf, J.S. and Thurmond, D.C. (2011). Munc18c Phosphorylation by the Insulin Receptor Links Cell Signaling Directly to SNARE Exocytosis. J Cell Biol 193(1):185-99. *;The authors equally contributed to this paper. #Note: paper selected for editorial audioblog.
• Kepner, E.M., Yoder, S., Oh, E., Kalwat, M., Wang, Z. and Thurmond, D.C. (2011). Cool-1/βPIX functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor in the cycling of Cdc42 to regulate insulin secretion. AJP-Endo and Metab.  301:E1071-E1080. #Note: paper selected for editorial commentary.
• Wang, Z., Oh, E., Chernoff, J., Clapp, D.W. and Thurmond, D.C. (2011). The Cdc42-Pak1 signaling pathway controls second-phase insulin release in human islets: aberrant whole-body glucose homeostasis in Pak1-deficient mice. J Biol Chem. 286(48) 41359-67.
• Jewell, J.L., Oh, E., and Thurmond, D.C. (2010). Exocytosis mechanisms underlying insulin release and glucose uptake: Munc18c and Syntaxin 4. AJP- Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology 298(3):R517-31. # invited review
• Oh, E. and Thurmond, D.C. (2009). Munc18c depletion selectively impairs the sustained phase of insulin release Diabetes 58, 1165-1174.
• Jewell, J.L., Oh, E., Bennett, S.M., Meroueh, S.O. and Thurmond, D.C. (2008). The tyrosine phosphorylation of Munc18c induces a switch in binding specificity from Syntaxin 4 to Doc2β. J Biol Chem 283:21734-21746.
• Jewell, J.L., Luo, W., Oh, E., Wang, Z. and Thurmond, D.C. (2008). Filamentous actin regulates insulin exocytosis through direct interaction with Syntaxin 4. J Biol Chem 283:10716-10726.
• Oh, E., Heise, C.J., English, J.M., Cobb, M.H. and Thurmond, D.C. (2007). WNK1 is a Novel Regulator of Munc18c-Syntaxin 4 Complex Formation in SNARE-mediated Vesicle Exocytosis.  J Biol Chem 282:32613-22.
• Ke, B., Oh, E. and Thurmond, D.C. (2007). Doc2β is a novel Munc18c-interacting partner and positive effector of Syntaxin-4 mediated exocytosis. J Biol Chem 282:21786-97.
• Wang, Z., Oh, E. and Thurmond, D.C. (2007). Glucose-stimulated Cdc42 signaling is essential for the second phase of insulin secretion. J Biol Chem 282:9536-9546.
• Oh, E. and Thurmond, D.C. (2006). The stimulus-induced tyrosine-phosphorylation of Munc18c facilitates vesicle exocytosis. J Biol Chem 281:17624-17634.
• Oh, E., Spurlin, B.A., Pessin, J.E., and Thurmond, D.C. (2005). Munc18c Heterozygous Knockout Mice Display Increased Susceptibility for Severe Glucose Intolerance. Diabetes, 54:635-647.
• Hwang, M., Kim, Y., Choi, N., Park, J., Oh, E., Kwon, E., Yamaguchi, M., and Yoo, M. (2002) The caudal homeodomain protein activates Drosophila E2F gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res. 30(23): 5029–5035.
• Oh, E., Park, J., Cho, M., Lee, W., Choi, Y., and Yoo, M. (2002) The Caudal-related homeodomain protein CDX1 activates proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in hepatocellular and colorectal carcinoma cells. Int. J. Onc. 20: 23-29.
• Park, S., Oh, E., Yoo, M., and Lee, S. (2001) Involvement of DNA dependent protein kinase in regulation of stress-induced JNK activation. DNA Cell Biol. 10: 637-645.
• Park, J., Oh, E., Choi, Y., Kang, C., Kang, H., Kim, D., Kang, K., and  Yoo, M. (2001). Synergistic effects of dexamethasone and genistein on the expression of Cdk inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 in human hepatocellular and colorectal carcinoma cells. Int. J. Onc. 18: 997-1002.
• *Kwon, E., *Oh, E., Kim, Y., Hirose, F., Ohno, K., Nishida, Y., Matsukage, A., Yamaguchi, M., and Yoo, M. (2001).  E2F-dependent transcription of the raf proto-oncogene during Drosophila development. Nucleic Acids Res. 29: 1808-1814. *;The authors equally contributed to this paper.
• Kwon, E., Park, H., Kim, Y., Oh, E., Nishida, Y., Matsukage, Y., Yoo, M., and Yamaguchi, M. (2000). Transcriptional regulation of Drosophila raf proto-oncogene by Drosophila STAT during development and in immune response. J. Biol. Chem. 275: 19824-19830.