How pancreatic beta cells sense and respond to their environment, and how this knowledge can be harnessed to better understand and treat diabetes - has been the central question driving my research. Over the past 20 years, I have focused on uncovering the roles of cellular molecular sensors in beta cells and investigating how their activities can be precisely regulated using multidisciplinary approaches, including molecular biology, genetics, and nanotechnology. Given that the progressive loss of islet cell function is a hallmark of diabetes, my work is particularly motivated by understanding how these sensors contribute to disease development and how they can be targeted to restore beta-cell function.

Research areas

    1. Identification and functional characterization of cellular molecular sensors in pancreatic islets under healthy and diabetic conditions.
    2. Roles of ion channels, ligands, and mechanical signals in regulating beta-cell gene expression, differentiation, and insulin secretion.
    3. Application of dynamic magnetic fields to modulate islet cell function.
    4. Use of super-resolution imaging to study nanoscale organization and function in islet biology.

Outcomes in current projects

    We have uncovered a regulatory mechanism behind magnetic‑field–induced insulin gene expression. Our findings show that magnetic fields alone can modulate insulin gene expression in a defined mouse model, and we have identified the magnetic‑field‑sensing proteins in pancreatic beta cells. This is the first time endogenous mammalian proteins have been identified as responders to magnetic stimulation - a discovery we believe represents a true breakthrough.

    We have successfully established and validated an in vitro ageing cell model. Currently, no standardized ageing cell model exists, and this system will provide researchers with a reproducible platform that can accelerate ageing studies and significantly enhance anti‑ageing drug screening, including applications in pharmaceutical development.

    We have developed a powerful combination of two imaging techniques - dSTORM and Expansion Microscopy (ExM). This integrated approach is pushing us toward an extraordinary 1 nm resolution, enabling near–electron‑microscopy‑level 3D imaging. Our goal is to visualize the internal structure of insulin‑granule dense cores and to resolve chromatin looping with unprecedented clarity.