Santa J. Ono
Encyclopedia
Santa J. Ono is a Canadian-American
biologist
and university administrator
. He is currently Senior Vice President and University Provost at the University of Cincinnati.
, British Columbia
, Canada
, he was educated at Towson High School
, the University of Chicago
, McGill University
, and Harvard University
. At Harvard he was a postdoctoral fellow
supported by the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation
. He has made key contributions to the field of gene regulation in the immune system and to the understanding of inflammation
in the eye. Ono was raised primarily in Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
. He graduated with a BA
in Biological Science from University of Chicago and a PhD
in Experimental Medicine
(Dean's Honour List) from McGill University in Montreal
.
After completing his fellowship at Harvard, Ono held faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, University College London
(UCL), and Emory University
. He was GlaxoSmithKline
Chair of Biomedical Science and Head of the Department of Immunology at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
and honorary staff member at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. From March 2006 until September 2008, he served as Vice Provost
for Academic Initiatives and Deputy to the Provost at Emory University in Atlanta. He was promoted to Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Academic Affairs in September 2008 and also served as Professor of Ophthalmology, Medicine, Pediatrics and Biology. In September 2010, he became Senior Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Cincinnati.
Professor Ono has studied on ocular
surface inflammation and the immune basis of age-related macular degeneration
. His early work focused on the association of certain MHC
haplotype
s with susceptibility and resistance to type 1 diabetes
. Using a number of recombinant
and congenic
rat strains, the work mapped susceptibility genes in the BB rat to the class II MHC loci. His work also showed that class I
and II MHC gene
products are expressed at higher levels or de novo on the insulin
-producing beta cell
s of the islets of Langerhans
. He focused much of his research in the next decade on the regulation of MHC gene expression
. He showed that the different class II MHC isotypes
are differentially expressed and showed that the X2-box cis-element
controls this differential expression. His work also showed that the bZIP
transcription factor: XBP1
forms a hetero-dimer
with c-Fos
. This has turned out to be relevant to the developmental control of B cell differentiation. His lab also discovered the NFX1
transcription factor and cloned both the human and murine
cDNAs
. This factor can bind DNA
, RNA
and protein
via a reiterated RING finger motifs
in the central domain of the polypeptide
. The protein appears to have important roles in neuron
al development and mRNA
transport. NFX1 is also a probable E3
ubiquitin-protein ligase. These enzymes are of interest as they have been shown to participate in 3 metabolic pathways: ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, parkinson's disease
, and huntington's disease
. His lab also demonstrated that the non- histone
chromosomal protein HMGA
is required for the induction of multiple genes, including MHC genes, interferon-gamma
and rhodopsin
. They mapped the interaction of HMGA1a and the paired homeodomain motif
within Crx and showed that these interactions help recruit such transcriptional
activators
to the promoter/enhancer.
Using transgenic mouse technology, they also showed (concurrently and independently of Alfredo Fusco), that fusion proteins between HMGA2
and other C terminal peptides (following chromosomal translocation
) can drive the development of lipoma
s and generate obese mice. Further contributions in the field include the mapping of the HMGA2 promoter/enhancer.
More recently, his laboratory determined the role of beta-chemokines in mast cell
-dependent inflammation in the ocular surface. The work showed that chemokine
s not only contribute to leukocyte recruitment, but can cooperate with other mast cell activation signals to trigger mast cell degranulation
. Finally, his lab showed that certain autoantibodies
might contribute to the pathogenesis
or exacerbation of AMD and other rapid onset retinal degenerative diseases and may constitute useful biomarkers
for the screening for AMD and its progression.
As an administrator, Ono served on admissions committees at Johns Hopkins University for the Program in Cell & Molecular Medicine and the Graduate Program in Immunology. He also participated in the selection of HHMI undergraduate research fellows and as a faculty member in the JHU Center for Talented Youth
.
At Harvard, he served as head of the Inflammation, Immunity and Transplantation Focus Group at the Schepens
Eye Research Institute. There, he served on the Executive Committee of the Harvard Program in Immunology and on two NIH Training grants within ophthalmology (Ocular Immunology and Molecular Bases of Eye Diseases). He worked closely with the late President J. Wayne Streilein and COO Ken Trevett and others in developing a strategic plan for the Schepens Eye Research Institute at Harvard and helped attract significant funding from entities such as the Markey Charitable Trust and the Fidelity Investments
.
Ono was then recruited to UCL to the Cumberlege Chair and then as GSK Professor. Major funding from the Wellcome Trust
, Fight for Sight, and GSK supported the development of a new immunology division at the UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology which grew to 27 members. Administratively, he served on the university Finance Committee, the UCL Council (the university's Governing Body) and as Associate Dean
. He served on the founding UCL working group on Race Equality, helping to both generate and monitor the impact of a new race equality policy on the diversification of the UCL workforce. This was flagged as an exemplar policy by the UK government in 2005. He also worked with the Provost and Chief Development Officer and officials such as Mayor Junichi Seki of Osaka
to forge links with Osaka University
and Osaka City University
, and partnered with the International Office to strengthen study abroad links with several universities, including Columbia University
. The international efforts also led to the establishment of a network of prominent alumni/supporters of UCL to lead development activities in different parts of the globe as part of the Campaign for UCL.
At Emory University, he had oversight of student enrollment activities, certain aspects of academic affairs and other responsibilities related to initiatives within the university strategic plan. Ono was part of a team that helped launch the Emory Advantage financial aid program, resulting in a loan replacement grant for individuals with a household income of $50,000 and less and a loan cap grant for individuals with a household income less than $100,000 It was the first program to reach into the "middle class
" to facilitate access to an Emory education. In 2008-2009, he organized a self-study of the Emory Undergraduate Experience (within the university's four undergraduate colleges) to generate a roadmap for future steps to enhance the experience
Ono also helped launch a number of programs to enhance intellectual community at Emory, including the Luminaries Series (designed to bring experts to Emory to speak about their scholarship) and the Life of the Mind Series to highlight Emory's own faculty. He also helped organize Emory's new Academic Leadership Program and the Emory Arts Competition.
In June 2010, he was named Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and University Provost at the University of Cincinnati. Ono has oversight of budgets, personnel, and planning in the university's 13 colleges across four campuses. The university enrolls 42,000 students and employs 5,800 faculty members and 16,436 employees. Its FY 2011 budget totals $1.6 billion (with an economic impact of $5.3 billion), including $443 million in sponsored research. He is leading the implementation of the University's strategic plan UC 2019 Phase I of the university's Academic Master Plan was released on April 11, 2011 Investments have been made to both merit-based and need-based scholarships, the university Honors Program, the Study Abroad Program and to enhance academic advising. A new research institute has been launched with an initial $50 million investment and an office has been created to position UC students and faculty for nationally competitive awards. In 2011 UC moved up 13 places in the US News ranking of Top National Universities and the university moved to be among the top 5 producers of Fulbright scholars. Ono also serves as co-chair of a taskforce working on the University of Cincinnati Foundation's Strategic Plan.
Ono has also reached out to the public by giving talks at K-12 schools in the US
and UK
and to the general public at the Royal Institution
of Great Britain. There he gave talks to K-12 students in the Student Education program and to adult audiences in the Talking Points Evening Lecture Series. He has also served as an invited panelist to discuss the Reith Lectures at Windsor Castle
on BBC Radio 4
.
Career Development Award, the Arthritis Foundation
Investigator Award, a Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust Award, the Medal in Bronze from Osaka City University and the Roche Award presented at University of Texas Medical Branch. He has been recognized as an outstanding mentor at Phi Beta Kappa
ceremonies and received the JW McConnell Award for Potential in Teaching at McGill University. Ono was elected into the Royal Society of Medicine
. was inducted a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
and is a Fellow
of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
(BA). He was elected International Fellow, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
(AAAAI) and of the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum. He has been a member of the Faculty of 1000
since 2003.
He has delivered plenary or major lectures at: the International Congress of Immunology, the International Congress of Eye Research, the Annual Meetings of ARVO and AAAAI and the Kyoto Cornea Conference. Ono has been a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Visiting Professor
at Kyoto University
and a Genentech
Visiting Professor at the University of Cincinnati
.
US, World Affairs Council of Cincinnati, Alois Alzheimer Center, Strive for College, the Japan America Society, the Taft Center at University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
, University of Cincinnati Foundation and Trent School Cockfosters
, Church of England
. He has served ex officio on the Presidential Advisory Committee at Emory University. He is a founding member of the Board of the Posse Foundation
, Atlanta and has served on the Medical & Scientific Advisory Board of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) the Medical Advisory Board and College of Experts of the Medical Research Council
, UK and the IMS and HAI study sections of the US National Institutes of Health
. Ono has served on the Council of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship of Georgia and the Selection Committee for the Jack Kent Cooke
Foundation National Graduate Scholarships
He has served as Associate Editor of Immunology and the Journal of Leukocyte Biology and on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Biological Chemistry
, the Journal of Immunology
and the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
. He chaired the Novartis Foundation
Symposium in 2004 and has participated in three Keck Futures Initiatives of the United States National Academy of Sciences
.
At Emory, he also served as the faculty advisor for Emory Christian Fellowship and the Alpha Theta Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega
fraternity. The chapter won the 2008 National Interfraternity Council Award of Distinction.
Canadian-American
A Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
biologist
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and university administrator
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
. He is currently Senior Vice President and University Provost at the University of Cincinnati.
Biography
Born in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he was educated at Towson High School
Towson High School
Towson High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, founded in 1873. The school's current stone structure was built in 1949. Located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson and serving the surrounding communities of Towson, Lutherville, and Ruxton, it is part of the Baltimore...
, the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. At Harvard he was a postdoctoral fellow
Postdoctoral researcher
Postdoctoral research is scholarly research conducted by a person who has recently completed doctoral studies, normally within the previous five years. It is intended to further deepen expertise in a specialist subject, including acquiring novel skills and methods...
supported by the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation
Helen Hay Whitney Foundation
The Helen Hay Whitney Foundation is a New York City based charitable foundation which supports early postdoctoral research training in all basic biomedical sciences....
. He has made key contributions to the field of gene regulation in the immune system and to the understanding of inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
in the eye. Ono was raised primarily in Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
Lutherville-Timonium is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland made up of the unincorporated communities of Lutherville and Timonium. The population was 15,814 as of the 2000 census. Within its borders lies the Lutherville Historic District...
. He graduated with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Biological Science from University of Chicago and a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Experimental Medicine
Biomedical research
Biomedical research , in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research, applied research, or translational research conducted to aid and support the body of knowledge in the field of medicine...
(Dean's Honour List) from McGill University in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Scientific career
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
(UCL), and Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
. He was GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
Chair of Biomedical Science and Head of the Department of Immunology at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
and honorary staff member at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. From March 2006 until September 2008, he served as Vice Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
for Academic Initiatives and Deputy to the Provost at Emory University in Atlanta. He was promoted to Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Academic Affairs in September 2008 and also served as Professor of Ophthalmology, Medicine, Pediatrics and Biology. In September 2010, he became Senior Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Cincinnati.
Professor Ono has studied on ocular
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
surface inflammation and the immune basis of age-related macular degeneration
Macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness and visual impairment in older adults...
. His early work focused on the association of certain MHC
Major histocompatibility complex
Major histocompatibility complex is a cell surface molecule encoded by a large gene family in all vertebrates. MHC molecules mediate interactions of leukocytes, also called white blood cells , which are immune cells, with other leukocytes or body cells...
haplotype
Haplotype
A haplotype in genetics is a combination of alleles at adjacent locations on the chromosome that are transmitted together...
s with susceptibility and resistance to type 1 diabetes
Diabetes mellitus type 1
Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose...
. Using a number of recombinant
Recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA molecules are DNA sequences that result from the use of laboratory methods to bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be found in biological organisms...
and congenic
Congenic
In genetics, two organisms that differ in one locus are defined as congenic or coisogenic.-Generating congenic strains:Congenic strains are generated in the laboratory by mating two inbred strains , and backcrossing the descendants 5-10 generations with one of the original strains, known as the...
rat strains, the work mapped susceptibility genes in the BB rat to the class II MHC loci. His work also showed that class I
MHC class I
MHC class I molecules are one of two primary classes of major histocompatibility complex molecules and are found on every nucleated cell of the body...
and II MHC gene
MHC class II
MHC Class II molecules are found only on a few specialized cell types, including macrophages, dendritic cells and B cells, all of which are professional antigen-presenting cells ....
products are expressed at higher levels or de novo on the insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
-producing beta cell
Beta cell
Beta cells are a type of cell in the pancreas located in the so-called islets of Langerhans. They make up 65-80% of the cells in the islets.-Function:...
s of the islets of Langerhans
Islets of Langerhans
The islets of Langerhans are the regions of the pancreas that contain its endocrine cells. Discovered in 1869 by German pathological anatomist Paul Langerhans at the age of 22, the islets of Langerhans constitute approximately 1 to 2% of the mass of the pancreas...
. He focused much of his research in the next decade on the regulation of MHC gene expression
Gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein coding genes such as ribosomal RNA , transfer RNA or small nuclear RNA genes, the product is a functional RNA...
. He showed that the different class II MHC isotypes
Isotype (immunology)
An isotype usually refers to any related proteins/genes from a particular gene family. In immunology, the "immunoglobulin isotype" refers to the genetic variations or differences in the constant regions of the heavy and light chains...
are differentially expressed and showed that the X2-box cis-element
Cis-regulatory element
A cis-regulatory element or cis-element is a region of DNA or RNA that regulates the expression of genes located on that same molecule of DNA . This term is constructed from the Latin word cis, which means "on the same side as". These cis-regulatory elements are often binding sites for one or...
controls this differential expression. His work also showed that the bZIP
BZIP domain
The Basic Leucine Zipper Domain is found in many DNA binding eukaryotic proteins. One part of the domain contains a region that mediates sequence specific DNA binding properties and the leucine zipper that is required for the dimerization of two DNA binding regions. The DNA binding region...
transcription factor: XBP1
XBP1
X-box binding protein 1, also known as XBP1, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the XBP1 gene. The XBP1 gene is located on chromosome 22 while a closely related pseudogene has been identified and localized to chromosome 5...
forms a hetero-dimer
Protein dimer
In biochemistry, a dimer is a macromolecular complex formed by two, usually non-covalently bound, macromolecules like proteins or nucleic acids...
with c-Fos
C-Fos
In the field of molecular biology and Genetics, c-Fos is a protein encoded by the FOS gene.-Structure and function:c-Fos is a cellular proto-oncogene belonging to the immediate early gene family of transcription factors. c-Fos has a leucine-zipper DNA binding domain, and a transactivation domain at...
. This has turned out to be relevant to the developmental control of B cell differentiation. His lab also discovered the NFX1
NFX1
Transcriptional repressor NF-X1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NFX1 gene.MHC class II gene expression is controlled primarily at the transcriptional level by transcription factors that bind to the X and Y boxes, two highly conserved elements in the proximal promoter of MHC class II...
transcription factor and cloned both the human and murine
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
cDNAs
Complementary DNA
In genetics, complementary DNA is DNA synthesized from a messenger RNA template in a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme reverse transcriptase and the enzyme DNA polymerase. cDNA is often used to clone eukaryotic genes in prokaryotes...
. This factor can bind DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
and protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
via a reiterated RING finger motifs
RING finger domain
In molecular biology, a RING finger domain is a protein structural domain of zinc finger type which contains a Cys3HisCys4 amino acid motif which binds two zinc cations. This protein domain contains from 40 to 60 amino acids...
in the central domain of the polypeptide
Peptide
Peptides are short polymers of amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds. They are distinguished from proteins on the basis of size, typically containing less than 50 monomer units. The shortest peptides are dipeptides, consisting of two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond...
. The protein appears to have important roles in neuron
Neuron
A neuron is an electrically excitable cell that processes and transmits information by electrical and chemical signaling. Chemical signaling occurs via synapses, specialized connections with other cells. Neurons connect to each other to form networks. Neurons are the core components of the nervous...
al development and mRNA
Messenger RNA
Messenger RNA is a molecule of RNA encoding a chemical "blueprint" for a protein product. mRNA is transcribed from a DNA template, and carries coding information to the sites of protein synthesis: the ribosomes. Here, the nucleic acid polymer is translated into a polymer of amino acids: a protein...
transport. NFX1 is also a probable E3
E3 binding protein
E3 binding protein also known as pyruvate dehydrogenase protein X component, mitochondrial is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PDHX gene...
ubiquitin-protein ligase. These enzymes are of interest as they have been shown to participate in 3 metabolic pathways: ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, and huntington's disease
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease, chorea, or disorder , is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It typically becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea...
. His lab also demonstrated that the non- histone
Histone
In biology, histones are highly alkaline proteins found in eukaryotic cell nuclei that package and order the DNA into structural units called nucleosomes. They are the chief protein components of chromatin, acting as spools around which DNA winds, and play a role in gene regulation...
chromosomal protein HMGA
HMGA
HMGA is a family of high mobility group proteins characterized by an AT-hook. They code for a "small, nonhistone, chromatin-associated protein that has no intrinsic transcriptional activity but can modulate transcription by altering the chromatin architecture".A recent study has shown variations in...
is required for the induction of multiple genes, including MHC genes, interferon-gamma
Interferon-gamma
Interferon-gamma is a dimerized soluble cytokine that is the only member of the type II class of interferons. This interferon was originally called macrophage-activating factor, a term now used to describe a larger family of proteins to which IFN-γ belongs...
and rhodopsin
Rhodopsin
Rhodopsin, also known as visual purple, is a biological pigment of the retina that is responsible for both the formation of the photoreceptor cells and the first events in the perception of light. Rhodopsins belong to the G-protein coupled receptor family and are extremely sensitive to light,...
. They mapped the interaction of HMGA1a and the paired homeodomain motif
Homeodomain fold
The homeodomain fold is a protein structural domain that binds DNA or RNA and is thus commonly found in transcription factors. The fold consists of a 60-amino acid helix-turn-helix structure in which three alpha helices are connected by short loop regions...
within Crx and showed that these interactions help recruit such transcriptional
Transcription (genetics)
Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of a sequence of DNA. Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RNA by the action of the correct enzymes...
activators
Activator (genetics)
An activator is a DNA-binding protein that regulates one or more genes by increasing the rate of transcription. The activator may increase transcription by virtue of a connected domain which assists in the formation of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme, or may operate through a coactivator. A...
to the promoter/enhancer.
Using transgenic mouse technology, they also showed (concurrently and independently of Alfredo Fusco), that fusion proteins between HMGA2
HMGA2
High-mobility group AT-hook 2, also known as HMGA2, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the HMGA2 gene.- Function :This gene encodes a protein that belongs to the non-histone chromosomal high-mobility group protein family. HMG proteins function as architectural factors and are essential...
and other C terminal peptides (following chromosomal translocation
Chromosomal translocation
In genetics, a chromosome translocation is a chromosome abnormality caused by rearrangement of parts between nonhomologous chromosomes. A gene fusion may be created when the translocation joins two otherwise separated genes, the occurrence of which is common in cancer. It is detected on...
) can drive the development of lipoma
Lipoma
A lipoma is a benign tumor composed of adipose tissue. It is the most common form of soft tissue tumor. Lipomas are soft to the touch, usually movable, and are generally painless. Many lipomas are small but can enlarge to sizes greater than six centimeters. Lipomas are commonly found in adults...
s and generate obese mice. Further contributions in the field include the mapping of the HMGA2 promoter/enhancer.
More recently, his laboratory determined the role of beta-chemokines in mast cell
Mast cell
A mast cell is a resident cell of several types of tissues and contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin...
-dependent inflammation in the ocular surface. The work showed that chemokine
Chemokine
Chemokines are a family of small cytokines, or proteins secreted by cells. Their name is derived from their ability to induce directed chemotaxis in nearby responsive cells; they are chemotactic cytokines...
s not only contribute to leukocyte recruitment, but can cooperate with other mast cell activation signals to trigger mast cell degranulation
Degranulation
Degranulation is a cellular process that releases antimicrobial cytotoxic molecules from secretory vesicles called granules found inside some cells...
. Finally, his lab showed that certain autoantibodies
Autoantibody
An autoantibody is an antibody manufactured by the immune system that is directed against one or more of the individual's own proteins. It is derived from the Greek "auto" which means "self", "anti" which means "against" and "body"...
might contribute to the pathogenesis
Pathogenesis
The pathogenesis of a disease is the mechanism by which the disease is caused. The term can also be used to describe the origin and development of the disease and whether it is acute, chronic or recurrent...
or exacerbation of AMD and other rapid onset retinal degenerative diseases and may constitute useful biomarkers
Biomarker (medicine)
In medicine, a biomarker is a term often used to refer to a protein measured in blood whose concentration reflects the severity or presence of some disease state...
for the screening for AMD and its progression.
Administrative work
Center for Talented Youth
The Center for Talented Youth is a gifted education program for school-age children, founded in 1979 by Dr. Julian Stanley at Johns Hopkins University. It was initially a research study of the rate at which gifted children can learn new material and became the first program of its kind to identify...
.
At Harvard, he served as head of the Inflammation, Immunity and Transplantation Focus Group at the Schepens
Charles Schepens
Charles L. Schepens was an influential Belgian ophthalmologist, regarded by many in the profession as "the father of modern retinal surgery", and member of the French Resistance....
Eye Research Institute. There, he served on the Executive Committee of the Harvard Program in Immunology and on two NIH Training grants within ophthalmology (Ocular Immunology and Molecular Bases of Eye Diseases). He worked closely with the late President J. Wayne Streilein and COO Ken Trevett and others in developing a strategic plan for the Schepens Eye Research Institute at Harvard and helped attract significant funding from entities such as the Markey Charitable Trust and the Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments
FMR LLC or Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation one of the largest mutual fund and financial services groups in the world. It was founded in 1946 and serves North American investors. Fidelity Ventures is its venture capital arm...
.
Ono was then recruited to UCL to the Cumberlege Chair and then as GSK Professor. Major funding from the Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
, Fight for Sight, and GSK supported the development of a new immunology division at the UCL-Institute of Ophthalmology which grew to 27 members. Administratively, he served on the university Finance Committee, the UCL Council (the university's Governing Body) and as Associate Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
. He served on the founding UCL working group on Race Equality, helping to both generate and monitor the impact of a new race equality policy on the diversification of the UCL workforce. This was flagged as an exemplar policy by the UK government in 2005. He also worked with the Provost and Chief Development Officer and officials such as Mayor Junichi Seki of Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
to forge links with Osaka University
Osaka University
, or , is a major national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan as the Osaka Prefectural Medical College, and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of Japan...
and Osaka City University
Osaka City University
, abbreviated to , is a public university in Japan. It is located in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City.- History :OCU's predecessor was founded in 1880, as the Osaka Commercial Training Institute with donations by local merchants. It developed into Osaka Commercial School in 1885, then was municipalized in...
, and partnered with the International Office to strengthen study abroad links with several universities, including Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. The international efforts also led to the establishment of a network of prominent alumni/supporters of UCL to lead development activities in different parts of the globe as part of the Campaign for UCL.
At Emory University, he had oversight of student enrollment activities, certain aspects of academic affairs and other responsibilities related to initiatives within the university strategic plan. Ono was part of a team that helped launch the Emory Advantage financial aid program, resulting in a loan replacement grant for individuals with a household income of $50,000 and less and a loan cap grant for individuals with a household income less than $100,000 It was the first program to reach into the "middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
" to facilitate access to an Emory education. In 2008-2009, he organized a self-study of the Emory Undergraduate Experience (within the university's four undergraduate colleges) to generate a roadmap for future steps to enhance the experience
Ono also helped launch a number of programs to enhance intellectual community at Emory, including the Luminaries Series (designed to bring experts to Emory to speak about their scholarship) and the Life of the Mind Series to highlight Emory's own faculty. He also helped organize Emory's new Academic Leadership Program and the Emory Arts Competition.
In June 2010, he was named Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and University Provost at the University of Cincinnati. Ono has oversight of budgets, personnel, and planning in the university's 13 colleges across four campuses. The university enrolls 42,000 students and employs 5,800 faculty members and 16,436 employees. Its FY 2011 budget totals $1.6 billion (with an economic impact of $5.3 billion), including $443 million in sponsored research. He is leading the implementation of the University's strategic plan UC 2019 Phase I of the university's Academic Master Plan was released on April 11, 2011 Investments have been made to both merit-based and need-based scholarships, the university Honors Program, the Study Abroad Program and to enhance academic advising. A new research institute has been launched with an initial $50 million investment and an office has been created to position UC students and faculty for nationally competitive awards. In 2011 UC moved up 13 places in the US News ranking of Top National Universities and the university moved to be among the top 5 producers of Fulbright scholars. Ono also serves as co-chair of a taskforce working on the University of Cincinnati Foundation's Strategic Plan.
Ono has also reached out to the public by giving talks at K-12 schools in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and to the general public at the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
of Great Britain. There he gave talks to K-12 students in the Student Education program and to adult audiences in the Talking Points Evening Lecture Series. He has also served as an invited panelist to discuss the Reith Lectures at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
.
Honors and awards
Ono is the recipient of the Pharmacia International Award in Allergy Research (the top international prize awarded to inflammation researchers under the age of 40), a Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship, the American Diabetes AssociationAmerican Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is a United States-based association working to fight the consequences of diabetes, and to help those affected by diabetes...
Career Development Award, the Arthritis Foundation
Arthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation is the largest national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to the prevention, control and cure of arthritis, the leading cause of disability in the United States....
Investigator Award, a Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust Award, the Medal in Bronze from Osaka City University and the Roche Award presented at University of Texas Medical Branch. He has been recognized as an outstanding mentor at Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
ceremonies and received the JW McConnell Award for Potential in Teaching at McGill University. Ono was elected into the Royal Society of Medicine
Royal Society of Medicine
The Royal Society of Medicine is a British charitable organisation whose main purpose is as a provider of medical education, running over 350 meetings and conferences each year.- History and overview :...
. was inducted a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
and is a Fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
British Association for the Advancement of Science
frame|right|"The BA" logoThe British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, is a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between...
(BA). He was elected International Fellow, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Founded in 1943, the AAAAI is a professional medical membership organization of nearly 6,500 allergist/immunologists and related professionals around the world with advanced training and experience in allergy, asthma and other immunologic diseases...
(AAAAI) and of the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum. He has been a member of the Faculty of 1000
Faculty of 1000
Faculty of 1000 is a service for researchers and clinicians that provides ratings of and commentary on scientific research papers. The service acts as a filter, identifying and evaluating the most significant articles from biomedical research publications...
since 2003.
He has delivered plenary or major lectures at: the International Congress of Immunology, the International Congress of Eye Research, the Annual Meetings of ARVO and AAAAI and the Kyoto Cornea Conference. Ono has been a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
The is an independent administrative institution in Japan, established for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science in all fields of the natural and social sciences and the humanities.-History:...
Visiting Professor
Visiting scholar
In the world of academia, a visiting scholar or visiting academic is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university, where he or she is projected to teach , lecture , or perform research on a topic the visitor is valued for...
at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
and a Genentech
Genentech
Genentech Inc., or Genetic Engineering Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology corporation, founded in 1976 by venture capitalist Robert A. Swanson and biochemist Dr. Herbert Boyer. Trailing the founding of Cetus by five years, it was an important step in the evolution of the biotechnology industry...
Visiting Professor at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
.
Advisory roles
Ono has served on the governing bodies/Board of Trustees of University College London, Intervarsity Christian FellowshipInterVarsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is an inter-denominational, evangelical Christian, student-led ministry which for the past 70 years has been dedicated to establishing witnessing communities on U.S. college and university campuses...
US, World Affairs Council of Cincinnati, Alois Alzheimer Center, Strive for College, the Japan America Society, the Taft Center at University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
, University of Cincinnati Foundation and Trent School Cockfosters
Trent School Cockfosters
Trent School Cockfosters is a single-form, Church of England primary school serving the Cockfosters, New Barnet and Enfield towns in the northern suburbs of London, England. Although it is a voluntary aided school, it is part of the London Borough of Barnet school system. The school has a...
, Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He has served ex officio on the Presidential Advisory Committee at Emory University. He is a founding member of the Board of the Posse Foundation
Posse Foundation
The Posse Foundation is an American nonprofit organization that identifies, recruits, and trains student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams called "Posses" of 10 to 12 Posse Scholars...
, Atlanta and has served on the Medical & Scientific Advisory Board of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) the Medical Advisory Board and College of Experts of the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
, UK and the IMS and HAI study sections of the US National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
. Ono has served on the Council of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship of Georgia and the Selection Committee for the Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins , the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Los Angeles Kings , and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.-Early career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to...
Foundation National Graduate Scholarships
He has served as Associate Editor of Immunology and the Journal of Leukocyte Biology and on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Biological Chemistry
Journal of Biological Chemistry
The Journal of Biological Chemistry is a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that was established in 1905. Since 1925 it is published by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It covers research in any area of biochemistry or molecular biology. The editor-in-chief is...
, the Journal of Immunology
Journal of Immunology
The Journal of Immunology is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes basic and clinical studies in all aspects of immunology. It was founded by Arthur Fernandez Coca in 1915 . It is the official journal of The American Association of Immunologists and published by The American Association...
and the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is a medical journal in the field of allergy and immunology. It is the official journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. The journal was established in 1929 as the Journal of Allergy and obtained its current name in 1971...
. He chaired the Novartis Foundation
Novartis Foundation
The Novartis Foundation was a scientific and educational charity, formed in 1949 by the Swiss company Ciba, now Novartis, and dissolved in 2008. It was the direct successor to the Ciba Foundation, and the changed name reflected the new name of Ciba, after merging with Sandoz...
Symposium in 2004 and has participated in three Keck Futures Initiatives of the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
.
At Emory, he also served as the faculty advisor for Emory Christian Fellowship and the Alpha Theta Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
fraternity. The chapter won the 2008 National Interfraternity Council Award of Distinction.
External links
- Bold Academic Plan for UC
- A New Provost at University of Cincinnati
- Ono Named Provost at University of Cincinnati
- Santa J. Ono, Emory University Senior Vice Provost
- Dialogues on the Emory Undergraduate Experience
- Dr. Ono's Personal Reflections on Diversity - Unity Month 2008
- Emory Arts Competition
- Academic Leadership Program
- Luminaries in Arts & Humanities
- Evenings with Emory Authors
- Questbridge paves the way for bright applicants to Emory University
- Emory joins Questbridge Student Access Program
- Life of the Mind Series
- Luminaries in Science Series
- Conflict and Peace-building in the Middle East
- Ono Chairs 2004 Novartis Foundation Symposium
- BBC News: Eye research gets £30m boost
- BBC News: Eyelid protein is key to allergy
- Ono Named Chief Scientific Officer, iCo Therapeutics
- Science: Obesity Gene Linked to Cancer
- Nature: Recruiters and Academia - Getting out of a rut