Biography

Dr. Ren’s current research interest is in skeletal muscle energetics and metabolism.  Using non-invasive MRS (1H/13C/31P) techniques, Dr. Ren measures metabolites and their dynamics in resting and activated human muscles, and explores how muscle handles its substrates and metabolites. This fascinating research field integrates NMR physics, physiology, biomechanics and biochemistry.  Working with Drs. Malloy and Sherry, Dr. Ren’s studies focus on answering fundamental questions such as how different metabolic pathways interact and how various metabolites exchange among different cellular compartments and tissues so that energy demand is met while homeostasis is maintained,  as well as identifying the differences between the healthy and the diseased or aged muscles.

Education

Undergraduate
Dalian University of Tech (1983), Physics
Graduate School
Chinese Academy of Sciences-Ch (1991), Chemistry

Research Interest

  • in vivo MR spectroscopy
  • Skeletal muscle metabolism

Publications

Featured Publications LegendFeatured Publications

Reproducibility and absolute quantification of muscle glycogen in patients with glycogen storage disease by 13C NMR spectroscopy at 7 Tesla.
Heinicke K, Dimitrov IE, Romain N, Cheshkov S, Ren J, Malloy CR, Haller RG. PLoS One. 2014
A concentration-independent method to measure exchange rates in PARACEST agents.
Dixon WT, Ren J, Lubag AJ, Ratnakar J, Vinogradov E, Hancu I, Lenkinski RE, Sherry AD. Magn Reson Med. 2010 63 625-32
Off-resonance saturation magnetic resonance imaging of superparamagnetic polymeric micelles.
Khemtong C, Kessinger CW, Togao O, Ren J, Takahashi M, Sherry AD, Gao J. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2009 4095-7
In vivo off-resonance saturation magnetic resonance imaging of alphavbeta3-targeted superparamagnetic nanoparticles.
Khemtong C, Kessinger CW, Ren J, Bey EA, Yang SG, Guthi JS, Boothman DA, Sherry AD, Gao J. Cancer Res. 2009 69 1651-8
Molecular mechanisms of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in the AGPAT2-deficient mouse model of congenital generalized lipodystrophy.
Cortés VA, Curtis DE, Sukumaran S, Shao X, Parameswara V, Rashid S, Smith AR, Ren J, Esser V, Hammer RE, Agarwal AK, Horton JD, Garg A. Cell Metab. 2009 9 165-76