portrait of Kai Guo, PhD

Kai Guo, PhD

Research Assistant Professor
Department of Neurology
5017 BSRB
Ann Arbor MI 48109-2200
Bionformatics

Using high-powered data analysis to address diabetic complications and ALS

Dr. Guo’s research focuses on bioinformatics and systems biology approaches to identify pathogenic mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration. His research goal is to develop analytic systems and integrate multi-level omics data at the systems level to support team science initiatives in partnership with both basic and clinician scientists to better understand disease mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets for devastating neurologic diseases. His ongoing objectives for his independent career are to build upon his bioinformatics discoveries and expand his research as a team scientist by integrating multi-omics data from ALS and peripheral neuropathy animal models and human cohorts.

Credentials

  • BS, Biotechnology Specialty, Huazhong Agricultural University, 2008
  • MS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 2010
  • PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 2015

Honors & Awards

  • LINCS CMap Workshop travel grant, 2018
  • Major award of The DuPont Scholarship, 2014
  • 3-time Excellent Individual Scholarship of BBRC, Huazhong Agricultural University, 2010-12

Top Publications

Guo K*, Figueroa-Romero C*, Noureldein M*, Hinder LM, Sakowski SA, Rumora AE, Petit H, Savelieff MG, Hur J, Feldman EL$. Gut microbiota in a mouse model of obesity and peripheral neuropathy are associate with plasma and nerve lipidomics and nerve transcriptomics. Microbiome. 11, 52 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-022-01436-3

Goutman SA*, Guo K*, Savelieff MG*, Patterson A, Sakowski SA, Habra H, Karnovsky A, Hur J, Feldman EL$. Metabolomics identifies shared lipid pathways in independent amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cohorts. Brain. 2022 Jan 28:awac025. doi: 10.1093/brain/awac025.

Guo K*, Savelieff MG*, Rumora AE, Alakwaa FM, Callaghan BC, Hur J, Feldman EL$. Plasma signaling and complex lipids differentiate obese individuals by peripheral neuropathy status. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Mar 24;107(4):1091-1109. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab844.

Guo K*, Eid S*, Elzinga S*, Pacut C, Feldman EL, Hur J$. Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation and gene expression identifies candidate genes for human diabetic neuropathy. Clin Epigenet. 2020 Aug. 12; 12(1):123. DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00913-6. PMID: 32787975; PMCID: PMC7425575.

Figueroa-Romero C*, Guo K*, Murdock BJ*, Paez-Colasante X*, Bassis CM, Mikhail KA, Raue KD, Evans MC, Taubman GF, McDermott AJ, O'Brien PD, Savelieff MG, Hur J, Feldman EL$. Temporal evolution of the microbiome, immune system and epigenome with disease progression in ALS mice. Disease models & mechanisms. 2019 Nov 15;13(2). pii: dmm041947.

*The authors contributed equally to this work