The Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing Universitas Gadjah Mada hosts an International Guest Lecture featuring Prof. Zixu Mao, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States. The Guest Lecture takes place on Thursday, April 17, 2025 at the Auditorium of the Tahir Foundation Postgraduate Building, FK-KMK UGM.
This event is attended by around 40 participants consisting of graduate students, lecturers, and researchers from various institutions. The event is opened with a welcome speech by the Chairman of The Department of Histology and Cell Biology, followed by an introduction of the speakers and a presentation of the material. Prof. Mao is widely recognized for his research on neuronal stress mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases. He highlighted the important role of the MEF2D protein in maintaining mitochondrial function and its implications in the pathogenesis of ParkinsOn’s disease.
In addition, his research explores the relationship between stress in the endoplasmic reticulum and the chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) pathway, including the key role of p38 MAPK as a regulator of cellular stress responses. These findings have paved the way for innovative organelle-based therapeutic strategies. In a session titled “A Prof. Mao presented the latest approaches to understanding neuronal stress responses through an organelle-centric perspective, focusing on mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomes, as well as their therapeutic implications for Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
This activity aims to provide academic communities with access to the latest international research developments in the fields of neurobiology and cellular therapy, and to encourage academic collaboration between FK-KMK UGM and foreign institutions. This is in line with Partnership of Goals point 3: Good Health and Well-being, point 4: Quality Education, and point 17: Partnership for the Goals. (Contributor: Nur Aziz/Translated by Tedy A)
