Shengyi (iris) Sun PhD

Shengyi (Iris) Sun is an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University. Her research focuses on protein homeostasis and quality control, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) biology, nutrient metabolism, and liver physiology. Her work aims to understand ER-associated degradation (ERAD), a cellular process that removes misfolded proteins in the ER, and its role in areas like protein production, nutrient metabolism in the liver, and germ-line stem cell differentiation. Her research also investigates how protein mutations contribute to diseases and how ERAD affects these processes.

Dr. Sun's research has contributed to the understanding of conditions such as liver and cardiovascular diseases. For example, her team's research on the ERAD pathway, specifically the SEL1L-HRD1 complex, has shown its importance in regulating fibrinogen, a protein involved in blood clotting. This complex is vital for preventing hepatic fibrinogen storage disease (HFSD), a rare liver disorder, as its deficiency can lead to abnormal fibrinogen deposits. Dr. Sun earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Hong Kong and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology from Cornell University. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Southwestern.