Derick Han, PhD

Dr. Han, who joined KGI in June 2013, has spent much of his career researching the role of mitochondria in physiology and pathophysiology, particularly in the liver. As a post-doctoral researcher and then an assistant professor of research medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC), his focus has been largely on mitochondrial remodeling in the liver caused by metabolic stress, such as alcohol feeding and obesity.  He also has been engaged in research examining signal transduction pathways that mediate drug-induced liver injury.

Dr. Han was the recipient of USC’s Research Center for Liver Diseases Pilot Project Award and the Zumberge Research and Innovation Award, and has been principal and co-principal investigator on several grants from the National Institutes of Health. His teaching experience includes serving as a lecturer and instructor at USC’s School of Pharmacy and as an adjunct professor of biochemistry at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Dr. Han holds a PhD in molecular pharmacology and toxicology from USC and B.A. in sociology and biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

H-index = 32; average citations/article = 67; total citations = 3469

Garcia J, Decker C W, Sanchez SJ, Ouk JM, Siu KM, and D Han. Obesity and steatosis promotes mitochondrial remodeling that enhances respiratory capacity in the liver of ob/ob mice. FEBS letters (2018) 592:916-927.

Han D, Johnson HS, Martin G, Sancheti H, Silkwood KH, Decker CW, Nguyen KT, Rao MP, Cadenas E and N Kaplowitz. Mitochondrial remodeling in the liver following chronic alcohol feeding to rats. Free Radical Biology and Medicine (2017) 102:100-110.

Dara L, Johnson H, Suda J, Win S, Gaarde W, Han D, and N Kaplowitz. Receptor Interacting Protein Kinase-1 mediates murine acetaminophen toxicity independent of the necrosome and not through necroptosis. Hepatology (2015) 62: 1847-1857. (Highlighted in an editorial)

Chang AHK, Sancheti H, Garcia J, Kaplowitz N, Cadenas E and D Han. Respiratory Substrates Regulate S-Nitrosylation of Mitochondrial Proteins through a Thiol-Dependent Pathway. Chemical Research  in Toxicology (2014) 27:794-804.

Saberi B, Ybanez MD, Johnson HS, Gaarde W, Han D and N Kaplowitz, N. Protein kinase C (PKC) participates in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity through c-jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent and -independent signaling pathways. Hepatology (2014) 59: 1543-54.

Han D, Dara L, Win S, Than TA, Yuan L, Abbasi SQ, Liu ZX, and N Kaplowitz. Regulation of drug-induced liver injury by signal transduction pathways: critical role of mitochondria. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences (2013) 34:243-53.

Han D, Ybanez MD, Johnson HS, McDonald JN, Mesropyan L, Sancheti H, Martin G, Martin A, Dara L, Cadenas E, Tsukamoto H, and N Kaplowitz. Dynamic adaptation of liver mitochondria to chronic alcohol feeding in mice: biogenesis, remodeling, and functional alterations. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2012) 287:42165-79.

Win S, Than TA, Han D, Petrovic LM and N Kaplowitz. c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK)-dependent acute liver injury from acetaminophen or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) requires mitochondrial Sab protein expression in mice. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2011) 286: 35071-78.

Garcia J, D Han, Sancheti H, Yap LP, Kaplowitz N, and E Cadenas. Regulation of mitochondrial glutathione redox status and protein glutathionylation by respiratory substrates. Journal of Biological Chemistry (2010) 285: 39646-54.

Yap LP, Sancheti H, Ybanez MD, Garcia J, Cadenas E, and D Han. Determination of GSH, GSSG, and GSNO using HPLC with electrochemical detection. Methods Enzymol (2010) 473: 137-47.

Yap LP, Garcia JV, Han D, and E Cadenas. Role of nitric oxide-mediated glutathionylation in neuronal function: potential regulation of energy utilization. Biochem J (2010) 428: 85-93.

Antunes F, and D Han. Redox regulation of NF-κB: From basic to clinical research. Antioxidant and Redox Signaling (2009) 11: 2055-6.

Han D, Ybanez MD, Ahmadi S, Yeh K, and N Kaplowitz. Redox regulation of tumor necrosis factor signaling. Antioxidant and Redox Signaling (2009) 11: 2245-63.

Kaplowitz N, Shinohara M, Liu ZX, and D Han. How to protect against acetaminophen: don’t ask for JUNK. Gastroenterology (2008) 135: 1047-51.

Saberi B, Hanawa N, Shinohara M, Gaarde W, Kaplowitz, N, and D Han. Regulation of H₂O₂-induced necrosis by Protein Kinase C and AMP-activated kinase signaling in primary cultured hepatocytes. American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology (2008) 295: C50-63.

*selected from 55 publications