Joanne Wang

Accepting Students to Lab: Yes

Education

• PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
• MS in Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago
• BS in Biochemistry, Peking University

Courses Taught

• PCEUT503
• PCEUT531
• PCEUT201
• MEDCH501

Research Interests

• Transporters (PMAT, OCTs, MATEs, OATs, OATPs, P-gp, Bcrp)
• Drug transport and disposition mechanisms
• Transporter-mediated drug targeting, tissue toxicity, and drug-drug interactions

Biography

Dr. Wang is Professor of Pharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle. She obtained her PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of California at San Francisco (1998) and completed her postdoctoral training in the Depts. of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Biochemistry at UCSF (1998-2000).

Dr. Wang’s research is focused on solute carrier (SLC) and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters that shuttle drugs, nutrients, neurotransmitters, and hormones across cell membranes. Her research interests include elucidating the mechanisms and clinical impact of transporters in nutrient and drug disposition and their potential as drug targets. Ongoing projects include:

Identification and functional characterization of transporters in human placenta

Transporters at the placental barrier act as gatekeepers, regulating the influx and efflux of nutrients, drugs, and metabolites to and from the developing fetus.  Despite significant progress, the expression, function, and regulation of most transporters in the human placenta remain poorly understood. This project, conducted under the University of Washington Transporter Elucidation Center (UWTEC), seeks to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the uptake and disposition of drugs, nutrients, and dietary substances during early human development. Funded by a UC2 grant from NICHD, the study aims to identify and functionally characterize solute carrier (SLC) and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in the human placenta using a multidisciplinary approach, providing critical insights into nutrient uptake and xenobiotic exposure during fetal development.

Mechanisms and PBPK modeling of drug secretion into breastmilk

Transporters in the lactating mammary gland play a critical role in pharmacology and toxicology by mediating the active transfer of drugs and nutrients into breastmilk. Medications taken by lactating individuals can be transported into breastmilk in significant amounts, potentially leading to unintended infant drug exposure and adverse effects. Currently, no methodologies exist to accurately predict drug secretion into breastmilk via carrier-mediated transport mechanisms. This project aims to address this gap by employing a systems pharmacology approach, integrating in vitro models, in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE), and Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to predict transporter-mediated drug secretion by human mammary epithelial cells.

Transporters in the disposition and tissue targeting of meta-iodobenzylguanidine

Radioiodine-labeled meta-iodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) has broad clinical applications, serving as both a diagnostic agent and a targeted radiotherapy for neuroendocrine cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Our previous research revealed that, in addition to the norepinephrine transporter (NET), mIBG is a high-affinity substrate for several polyspecific organic cation transporters, including the plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT), organic cation transporters (OCT1-3), and multidrug and toxin extrusion transporters (MATEs). These transporters are likely critical in determining mIBG’s disposition and therapeutic response. This project seeks to elucidate the specific roles of these transporters in mIBG uptake across normal and tumor tissues, aiming to develop mechanism-based strategies to optimize mIBG’s therapeutic efficacy while reducing toxicity.

Selected Publications

PubMed