Investigator Spotlight: Dongsheng Guo, PhD

Dongsheng Guo, PhD, instructor in Emerson Lab and the UMass Wellstone Center joined the Department of Neurology in 2017 after his PhD graduation. His research focuses on human muscle diseases utilizing patient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as models, including FSHD, LGMD2G/R7, LGMD2I/R9, WWS and ADSSL1. In the Emerson lab, he developed a new technology to generate functional muscle stem cells, termed iMyoblasts, from hiPSCs. He continues to use the technology to model human muscular dystrophies to understand their underlying molecular pathologies and develop gene editing and drug therapeutics to treat these diseases. 

Originally from China, Dongsheng graduated from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences with a bachelor's degree. Fascinated by stem-cell regenerative medicine, Dongsheng turned to stem-cell research and completed his iPSCs training at Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Science, in China.  His master project consisted of developing a turbo vaccine targeting Vibrio Anguillarum.

As a bio startup development supervisor, Dongsheng led a group to generate Parkinson’s disease stem cell models using zinc finger nuclease-based gene knockout technology in collaboration with Sigma Aldrich, and functional motor neurons from hiPSCs in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline Shanghai. He also led a group at GIBH, for drug screening to target Wilson’s disease using patient-derived iPSCs and hepatocyte differentiation. 

Dongsheng earned his PhD from GIBH, University of Chinese Academy of Science in China focusing his PhD project on two diseases, modeling multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) using patient-derived iPSCs and modeling Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) with ABCC8-Deficient Human Embryonic Stem Cells Generated by CRISPR/Cas9. 

Dongsheng shares his interest in stem cells by explaining, “Stem cells hold incredible potential for treating various medical conditions and offer hope for improving patient outcomes and quality of life. I have been focusing on stem cell research for over fifteen years and I aspire to synthesize induced pluripotent stem cell and gene and cell therapy to develop novel treatment modalities to enhance patient outcomes."  

While working in the Emerson Lab he has grown professionally by continuously honing his technical skills by mastering new laboratory techniques and staying updated on the latest advancements in stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

He values collaborative opportunities that enable him to grow and work closely with different teams to broaden his perspectives, sharing expertise, exchanging ideas, and leveraging diverse skill sets. Dongsheng credits Dr. Charles Emerson, PhD, for recognizing and supporting his work and applying for grants by nurturing his talent and fostering his career advancement within the team.   

When Dongsheng is not in the lab you can find him hiking with friends, exploring nature, and enjoying the fresh air with good company along the way.