Qian Cong

Biography

Career History

• Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M College of Dentistry (2024-present)
• Instructor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (2022-2024)

Teaching Interests

Teaching interests include Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Bone development and diseases.

Research Interests

Dr. Cong’s research interests are focused on understanding how abnormal regulation of cell signaling leads to various bone diseases. Currently, her research projects include 1) The cellular and molecular mechanism underlying the initiation and expansion of heterotopic ossification (HO) and its therapeutic development; 2) The role of FAM20C kinase in condyle development; 3) The role of ENPP1 in bone development and diseases.

Recent Grants

• NIH/NIAMS K99AR078929                      (PI)           07/01/2022-06/30/2024
• NIH/NIAMS CSR Pilot & Feasibility        (PI)            06/01/2023-05/31/2024
• NIH/NIAMS 3K99AR078929-02S1         (PI)            07/01/2023-06/30/2024
• NIH/NIAMS 4R00AR078929                   (PI)            09/12/2024-09/11/2027

Selected Publications

1. Bing Qi*, Qian Cong*, Ping Li, Gang Ma, Xizhi Guo, James Yeh, Min Xie, Michael D. Schneider, Huijuan Liu, and Baojie Li. Ablation of Tak1 in osteoclast progenitor leads to defects in skeletal growth and bone remodeling in mice. Scientific Report. 2014 Nov 24;4:7158.
2. Hao Jia*, Qian Cong*, Jenny Fung Ling Chua, Xuechun Xia, Huijuan Liu, Junping Ao, Baojie Li. p57Kip2 is an unrecognized DNA damage response effector molecule that functions in tumor suppression and chemoresistance. Oncogene. 2015 Jul;34(27):3568-81.
3. Qian Cong*, Hao Jia*, Soma Biswas, Ping Li, Shoutao Qiu, Qi Deng, Xizhi Guo, Gang Ma, Jenny Fang Ling Chau, Yibin Wang, Zhen-Lin Zhang, Xinquan Jiang, Huijuan Liu, and Baojie Li. p38a MAPK regulates lineage commitment and OPG synthesis of bone marrow stromal cells to prevent bone loss under physiological and pathological conditions. Stem Cell Report. 2016 Apr 12;6(4):566-78.
4. Qian Cong*, Hao Jia*, James Yeh, Yibin Wang, Zhen-Lin Zhang, and Baojie Li. p38a MAPK regulates proliferation and differentiation of osteoclast progenitors and bone remodeling in an aging-dependent manner. Scientific Report. 2017 Apr 6;7:45964.
5. Hao Jia, Liwei Song, Qian Cong, Jiamin Wang, Hong Xu, Yimin Chu, Qi Li, Yihong Zhang, Xiuqun Zou, Chenxi Zhang, Y. Eugene Chin, Xuehong Zhang, Zhiguang Li, Kai Zhu, Bin Wang, Haixia Peng, Zhaoyuan Hou. The LIM protein AJUBA promotes colorectal cancer cell survival through suppression of JAK1/STAT1/IFIT2 network. Oncogene. 2017 May 11;36(19):2655-2666.
6. Hongguang Wu, Zhixiang Wu, Ping Li, Qian Cong, Rongrong Chen, Wenrui Xu, Soma Biswa, Huijuan Liu, Xuechun Xia, Shanshan Li, Weiwei Hu, Zhenlin Zhang, Samy Habib, Hongbing Zhang, Weihong Zhang, and Baojie Li. Bone size and quality control: concerted actions of mTOR in mesenchymal stem cells and osteoclasts. Stem Cell Report. 2017 Jun 6;8(6):1600-1616.
7. Anna Li*, Qian Cong*, Xuechun Xia, Wai Fook leong, James Yeh, Dengshun Miao, Yuji Mishina, Huijuan Liu, and Baojie Li. Pharmacologic Calcitriol Inhibits Osteoclast Lineage Commitment via the BMP-Smad1 and IκB-NF-κB Pathways. JBMR. 2017 Jul;32(7):1406-1420.
8. Jin Y, Qian Cong, Gvozdenovic-Jeremic J, Hu J, Zhang Y, Terkeltaub R, Yang Y. Enpp1 inhibits ectopic joint calcification and maintains articular chondrocytes by repressing hedgehog signaling. Development. 2018 Sep 20;145(18).
9. Qian Cong, Xu R, Yang Y. Gαs signaling in skeletal development, homeostasis and diseases. Curr Top Dev Biol. 2019;133:281-307.
10. Zhou T, Gao B, Fan Y, Liu Zhou T, Gao B, Fan Y, Liu Y, Feng S, Qian Cong, Zhang X, Zhou Y, Yadav PS, Lin J, Wu N, Zhao L, Huang D, Zhou S, Su P, Yang Y. Piezo1/2 mediate mechanotransduction essential for bone formation through concerted activation of NFAT-YAP1-s-catenin. Elife. 2020 Mar 18;9.
11. Qian Cong, Yuchen Liu, Taifeng Zhou, Yaxing Zhou, Hye Soo Chung, Meijun Yan, Hang Zhou, Zhiheng Liao, Bo Gao, Geoffrey A. Bocobo, Peiqiang Su, Paul B. Yu, Yingzi Yang. A self-amplifying, self-propagating loop of Yap and Shh drives formation and expansion of heterotopic ossification. Science Translational Medicine. 2021 Jun 23;13(599):eabb2233.
12. Yadav P, Feng S, Qian Cong, Hanjun Kim, Liu Y, Yang Y. Stat3 loss in mesenchymal progenitors causes Job syndrome-like skeletal defects by reducing Wnt/s-catenin signaling. PNAS. June 29, 2021 118 (26) e2020100118.
13. Caiqi Cheng*, Qian Cong*, Liu Y, Hu Y, Liang G, Dioneda K, Yang Y. Yap is essential for notochord formation and neural tube patterning by integrating mechanotransduction with activation of FoxA2 and Shh. Science Advances. DOI: 2023 Jun 16;9(24):eadf6927 10.1126/sciadv.adf6927.
14. Qian Cong*, Yingzi Yang. Hedgehog Signaling Controls Chondrogenesis and Ectopic Bone Formation via the Yap-Ihh Axis. Biomolecules 2024, 14(3), 347;