Youngman Oh, PhD

Cellular & Molecular Pathogenesis

Youngman Oh, PhD Professor of Pathology; Director of Cancer and Metabolic Disorder Lab

Department: Pathology

Phone: (804) 827-1324

Fax: (804) 828-9746

Youngman Oh, MS, PhD, joined Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in June of 2003 as Professor of Pathology in the Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathogenesis. Within his first year as faculty, he was appointed Affiliate Faculty of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as well as a Member Scientist of Massey Cancer Center. He has been further serving a a Member of Virginia Bio-Technology Research Park’s Leadership Council, VCU, and leads Oh Lab Research in the Department of Pathology.

Dr. Oh graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Biology from Korea University in Seoul Korea and received a MS in Biology from the Eastern Michigan University. He earned a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford University. He received his Post-doctoral fellowship training under the mentorship of Dr. Ron Rosenfeld at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon. He subsequently held faculty positions in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at OHSU prior to joining the Department of Pathology at VCU.

Dr. Oh has established his scientific career at VCU with the development of a strong translational research program on endocrine-related cancers and metabolic diseases in the Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathogenesis, Department of Pathology. He is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) field and has pursued unique lines of research that has pioneered the new concepts of an IGF binding protein (IGFBP) superfamily and of the impact of the IGF-IGFBP system on pathogenesis and pathophysiology of human cancer and metabolic diseases by introducing an authentic biological function of IGFBPs and identifying new antitumor and anti-inflammatory signaling pathways.

Dr. Oh’s research activities have produced fruitful outcomes: (1) over $6 million in external funding in the form of 19 major grants from federal and private sources. (2) over 116 articles appearing in peer-reviewed journals, (2) 20patents for the treatment of cancer and metabolic disorders, (3) contribution to 8 book chapters, and (4) over 100 invitations as a guest speaker at domestic and international scientific meetings. He served as External Referee Committee Member for Scottish Government Experimental and Translational Medicine Research Committee, UK and Auckland Medical Research Foundation, New Zealand. He is currently Editorial Board Member of American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Oh Lab

22 VCU researchers are inducted into National Academy of Inventors

Contact Dr. Oh for a full CV

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Dr. Youngman Oh abbreviated CV

Education

Graduate Education
1989 - 1993 PhD, Cancer Biology Stanford University, Stanford, CA

1985 - 1987 MS, Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI

Undergraduate Education

1977 - 1984 BS, Biology, Summa cum Laude, Korea University, Seoul

Virginia Commonwealth University & Medical Center Appointments

2003 - present Professor, Department of Pathology, VCU

2008 - present Member, Virginia Bio-Technology Research Park’s Leadership Council

2004 - present Professor, Integrative Life Sciences Program, VCU

2008 - present Cancer and Metabolic Syndrome Research Lab., VCU

2003 - present Professor, Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, VCU

2003 - present Member Scientist, Massey Cancer Center, VCU

2003 - present Graduate Faculty of the School of Graduate Studies, VCU

Professional Service

2013 - present Virginia Commonwealth University Cancer and Metabolism Research Group, Steering Committee

2013 - present Virginia Commonwealth University Obesity Research Group

2013 - present Virginia Commonwealth University Obesity and Breast Cancer Research Interest Group

2015 - present Ad hoc scientific reviewer of the Pathophysiology and Complications Section for the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting

Editorial Advisory Boards

2010 - present American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism

2012 - present Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism

2013 - present Endocrinology and Metabolism

Recent Grants

2023-2025 Development of Prolastin-C liquid -IGFBP-3R Agonistic antibody as a targeted therapy for colon cancer (Grifols Investigator Sponsored Research Award) (PI)

2023-2025 A novel targeted antibody therapy for triple-negative breast cancer (Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation Commonwealth Commercialization Fund) (PI) 2023-2024

2022-2023 Development of TMEM219 mAb as a targeted therapy for TNBC (VCU Commercialization Fund) (PI)

2021-2023 Development of humanized TMEM219 agonistic mAbs (VCU Massey Cancer Center) (PI)

2020-2025 Targeting Transglutaminase 2 in cancer cachexia (R01CA251405, NIH/NCI) (Co-I)

2019-2024 StarD5, a protein that translocates cholesterol to the plasma membrane, a novel target for colon cancer. (VA Merit Grant) (Co-I)

Recent Invited Presentations

Invited speaker, " Targeted Therapy for Colon Cancer through the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin-IGFBP-3 Axis" The 16th Annual World Cancer Congress, Budapest, Hungary, June 2024.

Invited speaker, Development of AAT-IGFBP-3R Agonist as a targeted therapy for CAC therapy" Investigator-Sponsored Research Programs Forum, Grifols Zoom Meeting, March 2023.

Invited speaker, "Use of TMEM219 agonists for the treatment of cancer, metabolic syndrome, obstructive respiratory disorders and related diseases" TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo, Washington, DC, June 2022.

Invited speaker, “Development of therapeutic TMEM219 agonistic antibody” Molecule to Medicine Focused Interactive Group Meeting, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, May 2022.

Recent Publications

Peer Reviewed Publications

Kwon A, Chae HW, Lee WJ, Kim J, Kim YJ, Ahn J, Oh Y, Kim HS. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 induces senescence by inhibiting telomerase activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Sci Rep. 2023;30;13(1):8739. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-35291-5. PMID: 37253773; PMCID: PMC10229562.

Cai Q; Kim M; Harada A; Idowu MO; Sundaresan G; Zweit J; Oh Y. Alpha-1 antitrypsin inhibits tumorigenesis and progression of colitis-associated colon cancer through suppression of inflammatory neutrophil-activated serine proteases and IGFBP-3 proteolysis. Int J Mol Sci, 2022;23(22):13737. doi:10.3390/ijms232213737, PMID: 36430216 PMCID: PMC9698049.

Kim SY; Zhao Y; Kim H; Oh Y; Xu Q. Sodium iodate-induced retina degeneration observed in non-separate sclerochoroid/ retina pigment epithelium/retina whole mounts. Ann Eye Sci, 2022;7:3 https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/aes-21-27.

Kim SY; Kim Y; Oh Y. Inflammatory pathways in pathological neovascularization in retina and choroid: a narrative review on the inflammatory drug target molecules in retinal and choroidal neovascularization. Ann Eye Sci, 2021;6:24 https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/aes-21-4.

Book Chapters

Walker GE; Kim H-S; Yang Y-F; Oh Y. IGF-independent effects of the IGFBP Superfamily. In “Insulin-like Growth Factor” Le Roith D, Zumkeller W, Baxter R, eds, Landes Bioscience, 2004. Chapter 28.

Werner H; Oh Y; Roberts CT Jr. Apoptosis in breast cancer. In “Programmed Cell Death Volume II: Role in Disease, Pathogenesis and Prevention” Mattson MP, Estus S, Rangnekar V, eds, “Advances in Cell Aging and Gerontology “ Elsevier Science, Netherlands, 2001, vol. 6:1-22.

Minniti G; Oh Y. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in endocrine-related neoplasia. In “Endocrine Oncology’ Ethier SP, ed, “Contemporary Endocrinology" Humana Press, NJ 2000, vol. 17:215-236.