Math P. Cuajungco
Professor
Director, Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) Program (2023-2028)
Co-investigator, Neurocognitive Aging and Analytics Research (NAARE) Program (2021-2026)
Program Coordinator, Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program (2016-2022)
Director, Research Careers Preparatory (RCP) Program (2009-2016)
Degrees
PhD, University of Auckland, New Zealand
MSc (First Class Honours), University of Auckland, New Zealand
BSc, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Research Areas
Molecular and cellular biology of transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels (Mucolipin subfamily); Transmembrane proteins: TMEM163 (aka ZnT11), TMEM176A, and TMEM176B; Zinc neurobiology and zinc transporters; Metallobiology of Mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV), Hypomyelination Leukodystrophy (HLD), and age-related neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS)
Courses Regularly Taught
Cellular and Molecular Biology (formerly Cellular Basis of Life), Cellular Neurobiology, U-RISE Pro-seminar, and Seminar in Molecular Neurobiology
Publications
Escobar, A.*, Styrpejko, D.J.#, Ali, S. and Cuajungco, M.P. (2022) Transmembrane 163 (TMEM163) protein interacts with specific mammalian SLC30 zinc efflux transporter family members, Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports, 32, 101362. *Undergraduate student; #Graduate student
Styrpejko, D.J.# and Cuajungco, M.P. (2021) Transmembrane 163 (TMEM163) protein: A new zinc member of the zinc efflux transporter family. Biomedicines, 9, 220. #Graduate student
Ali, S. and Cuajungco, M.P. (2020) Protocol for quantifying zinc fluxes in cultured cells using fluorescent indicators. STAR Protocols, 1, 100050.
Sanchez, V.B.*, Ali, S., Escobar , A .*, and Cuajungco, M.P. (2019) Transmembrane 163 (TMEM163) protein effluxes zinc. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 677, 108166. *Undergraduate student
Chacon, J.*, Rosas, L.#, and Cuajungco, M.P. (2019) ZnT3 expression levels are down-regulated in the brain of Mcoln1 knockout mice. Molecular Brain, 12, 24. *Undergraduate student; #Post-bac student
Valadez, J.A.# and Cuajungco, M.P. (2015) PAX5 is the transcriptional activator of the Mucolipin-2 (MCOLN2) gene. Gene, 555, 194-202. *Undergraduate student; #Graduate student
Cuajungco, M.P., Basilio, L.C.*, Silva, J.*, Hart, T., Tringali, J., Chen, C.C., Biel, M. and Grimm, C. (2014) Cellular zinc levels are modulated by TRPML1-TMEM163 interaction. Traffic, 5, 1247-1265. *Undergraduate student
Cuajungco, M.P., Podevin, W.#, Valluri, V.K.*, Bui, Q.*, Nguyen, V.H.*, and Taylor, K.* (2012) Abnormal accumulation of human transmembrane (TMEM)-176A and 176B proteins is associated with cancer pathology. Acta Histochemica, 114, 705-712. *Undergraduate student; #Graduate student
