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Sun Ji received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington-Seattle, where he applied X-ray crystallography to study membrane transporters and determined the first eukaryotic nitrate transporter, NRT1.1, from Arabidopsis thaliana. Following his interest in membrane protein, Ji pursued further training as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Roderick MacKinnon, the 2003 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, at The Rockefeller University, where he combined electrophysiology and single-particle cryo-EM to characterize the potassium channel KCNQ1, which is critical for cardiac function and heart rhythm. After that, Ji joined the Department of Structural Biology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as an assistant faculty, where he employed structural biology and cell biology approaches to understand key molecules in human health and diseases and applied the underlying mechanisms for the development of pharmacological tools. In 2024, the Sun lab moved to Department of Biological Science (DBS) at NUS, and research in the Sun lab focuses on how cellular signalling is regulated spatially and temporarily and leverage such principles to the development of novel therapeutics as well as the ecological balance of our planet.

Education

2008 – 2013 – Ph.D. Pharmacology, University of Washington-Seattle 
2003 – 2007 – B.Sc. Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China 

Professional Experience

2019 – 2024 – Assistant Member, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital 
2014 – 2019 – Postdoctoral Associate, The Rockefeller University 

Research Interest

Research in Sun lab uses biochemical and structural biology approaches to explore the molecular nature of biological systems. We strive to find cures for human diseases and seek solutions for the sustainable development of our planet.

Current Research Projects

PI’s laboratory focuses on:

• NADPH Oxidases
• LRRK2 Signaling and Parkinson’s Diseases
• KCNQ1 Channel and Cardiac Rhythm
• Ciliary Transport

 

Selected Publications

1. Cui C, Jiang M, Jain N, Das S, Lo Y, Kermani A, Pipatpokai T and Sun J. Structural basis of human NOX5 activation. Nature Communications, 15: 3994, 2024. 

2. Zhu H, Tonelli F, Turk M, Prescott A, Alessi D and Sun J. Rab29-dependent asymmetrical activation of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2. Science. 382: 1404-1411, 2023

3. Jiang M, Palicharla VR, Miller D, Hwang SH, Zhu H, Hixson P, Mukhopadhyay S and Sun J. Human IFT-A complex structures provide molecular insights into ciliary transport. Cell Research 33:288–298, 2023.

4. Myasnikov A, Zhu H, Hixson, P, Xie B, Yu K, Pitre A, Peng J, Sun J. Structural analysis of the full-length human LRRK2. Cell. 184:3519–3527, 2021. 

5. Sun J. Structures of mouse DUOX1–DUOXA1 provide mechanistic insights into enzyme activation and regulation. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 27:1086–1093, 2020

6.  Sun J and Mackinnon R. Structural Basis of Human KCNQ1 Modulation and Gating. Cell 180:1-8, 2020.

7.  Sun J and Mackinnon R. Structure of a KCNQ1/CaM Complex Reveals Insights into Congenital Long QT Syndrome. Cell 169(6): 1042-1050, 2017

8. Sun J, Bankston JR, Hinds TR, Payandeh J, Zagotta WN, and Zheng N. Crystal Structure of the Plant Dual-affinity Transporter NRT1.1. Nature 507(7490): 73-77, 2014.