Sharon Owino, PhD, MSCR 

Education

UNDERGRADUATE:
Georgia Institute of Technology
Degree: Bachelor of Science: Biomedical Engineering

GRADUATE:
Morehouse School of Medicine
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Science, Master of Science in Clinical Research

POSTGRADUATE:
Emory University School of Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship: Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Research Interests

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) biology   Neuron-glia communication   Cell signaling   Neuroimmune biology   Neurological disease mechanisms   How neural and glial cells establish and maintain their functional states is a fundamental question in neuroscience. We seek to understand how cellular signaling and genetic variation govern these processes and influence nervous system function in health and disease.   We study a subset of brain-enriched GPCRs whose physiological roles remain poorly understood. Our work defines how these receptors coordinate communication between neurons and glia to regulate cellular identity, nervous system function, and behavior. We are also interested in understanding how naturally occurring genetic variation influences these biological processes. By integrating human genetics with stem cell-based models, we define how ancestry-associated variation shapes lipid metabolism, neuroimmune biology, and other cellular mechanisms that contribute to neurological disease.

Publications

Owino, S., Giddens, M. M., Jiang, J. G., Nguyen, T. T., Shiu, F. H., Lala, T., Gearing, M., McCrary, M. R., Gu, X., Wei, L., Yu, S. P., & Hall, R. A. (2021). GPR37 modulates progenitor cell dynamics in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. Experimental neurology, 342, 113719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113719

McCrary, M. R., Jiang, M. Q., Giddens, M. M., Zhang, J. Y., Owino, S., Wei, Z. Z., Zhong, W., Gu, X., Xin, H., Hall, R. A., Wei, L., & Yu, S. P. (2019). Protective effects of GPR37 via regulation of inflammation and multiple cell death pathways after ischemic stroke in mice. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 33(10), 10680–10691. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201900070R

Giddens, M. M., Wong, J. C., Schroeder, J. P., Farrow, E. G., Smith, B. M., Owino, S., Soden, S. E., Meyer, R. C., Saunders, C., LePichon, J. B., Weinshenker, D., Escayg, A., & Hall, R. A. (2017). GPR37L1 modulates seizure susceptibility: Evidence from mouse studies and analyses of a human GPR37L1 variant. Neurobiology of disease, 106, 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2017.07.006

Owino, S., Sánchez-Bretaño, A., Tchio, C., Cecon, E., Karamitri, A., Dam, J., Jockers, R., Piccione, G., Noh, H. L., Kim, T., Kim, J. K., Baba, K., & Tosini, G. (2018). Nocturnal activation of melatonin receptor type 1 signaling modulates diurnal insulin sensitivity via regulation of PI3K activity. Journal of pineal research, 64(3), 10.1111/jpi.12462. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12462

Owino, S., Buonfiglio, D. D. C., Tchio, C., & Tosini, G. (2019). Melatonin Signaling a Key Regulator of Glucose Homeostasis and Energy Metabolism. Frontiers in endocrinology, 10, 488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00488


Additional publications: CLICK HERE to view additional publications.

Honors and Awards

AfCNP Fellow (2024)   NIH IRACDA/FIRST Fellow (2018–2021)   AFAR/Glenn Foundation Fellow (2018–2019)   Visiting Scholar, Institut Cochin, Paris (2016)