{"id":91,"date":"2022-12-14T23:25:59","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T23:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/ma\/?page_id=91"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:27:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T14:27:26","slug":"liang-ma-phd-lab","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/ma\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=&#8221;317&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;310&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]The Liang Ma Lab is dedicated to decoding the complex genetic architecture of polygenic brain disorders. Our research mission is to bridge human neurogenetics with cellular and functional neurobiology by identifying how causal genetic variations and mRNA isoforms drive the biological mechanisms of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve this, we employ a multi-model strategy that integrates three primary research pillars:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Human Multi-Omics: We leverage one of the largest datasets of human postmortem brain tissue\u2014including RNA-seq, DNA methylation, and ChIP-seq\u2014to prioritize risk genes and their unique transcript repertoires.<\/li>\n<li>Advanced Cellular Modeling: Utilizing CRISPR-based genome editing, we generate isogenic human iPSC-derived 2D neurons and 3D brain organoids to mechanistically test how risk genes impact cellular pathways like synaptic integrity.<\/li>\n<li>In Vivo Validation: In collaboration with other groups, we use mouse models and AAV-mediated gene delivery to assess the impact of prioritized genes on cognitive function, behavior, and synaptic ultrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Our current major projects focus on SNX19, which regulates glutamate release in excitatory neurons; CYP2D6, a human-specific risk gene that drives mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress; and a novel APOE jxn1.2.2 mRNA isoform that contributes to Alzheimer\u2019s risk independently of traditional genotypes. Additionally, we developed Cell2Spatial, a sophisticated computational framework that reconstructs tissue architecture at single-cell granularity by mapping single-cell data onto spatial transcriptomic spots.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1691528066123{margin-right: 50px !important;margin-left: 50px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_separator color=&#8221;chino&#8221; border_width=&#8221;2&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_gallery interval=&#8221;3&#8243; images=&#8221;158,189,258,259,257,260,159,191,190,298&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; onclick=&#8221;&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221; title=&#8221;Ma Lab @ STRF &#8211; South Texas Research Facility&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=&#8221;roomy wide-gutters&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1691528049017{margin-right: 50px !important;margin-left: 50px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_gmaps link=&#8221;#E-8_JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSUyRm1hcHMlMkZlbWJlZCUzRnBiJTNEJTIxMW0xOCUyMTFtMTIlMjExbTMlMjExZDI3Nzc5LjM0NTc3NDQ3MDEzJTIxMmQtOTguNTc3OTcxNiUyMTNkMjkuNTA0MTY2NDk5OTk5OTk3JTIxMm0zJTIxMWYwJTIxMmYwJTIxM2YwJTIxM20yJTIxMWkxMDI0JTIxMmk3NjglMjE0ZjEzLjElMjEzbTMlMjExbTIlMjExczB4ODY1YzY3NTc4MjBmMzg2YiUyNTNBMHg4ZjBkMmNhZDFlZjgzMTk5JTIxMnNTb3V0aCUyNTIwVGV4YXMlMjUyMFJlc2VhcmNoJTI1MjBGYWNpbGl0eSUyNTIwJTI4U1RSRiUyOSUyMTVlMCUyMTNtMiUyMTFzZW4lMjEyc3VzJTIxNHYxNjkwNDgyNDQzMDIwJTIxNW0yJTIxMXNlbiUyMTJzdXMlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjYwMCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjQ1MCUyMiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIyYm9yZGVyJTNBMCUzQiUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRCUyMiUyMiUyMGxvYWRpbmclM0QlMjJsYXp5JTIyJTIwcmVmZXJyZXJwb2xpY3klM0QlMjJuby1yZWZlcnJlci13aGVuLWRvd25ncmFkZSUyMiUyMHRpdGxlJTNEJTIybWFwJTIwdG8lMjA4NDAzJTIwRmxveWQlMjBDdXJsJTIwRHIlMkMlMjBTYW4lMjBBbnRvbmlvJTJDJTIwVFglMjA3ODIyOSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221; title=&#8221;South Texas Research Facility&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=&#8221;317&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;310&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]The Liang Ma Lab is dedicated to decoding the complex genetic architecture of polygenic brain disorders. Our research mission is to bridge human neurogenetics with cellular and functional neurobiology by identifying how causal genetic variations and mRNA isoforms drive the biological mechanisms of neurodegenerative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/no-banner.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-91","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Home - Liang Ma Lab - UT Health San Antonio<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The research lab of Liang Ma, PhD at UT Health San Antonio (University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio).\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/labs.uthscsa.edu\/ma\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Home - 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