A native of Hong Kong, Dr. Kent Lai earned his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from University of Bradford (U.K.) and his Ph.D. from University of Maryland (U.S.). He was also awarded his M.B.A. and M.H.A. from Georgia State University (U.S.). After receiving his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology; he went on for his Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine (U.S.). Dr. Kent Lai's career as a researcher and educator began in 2002 at University of Miami School of Medicine, where, within 6 years, he rose from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Pediatrics. In March, 2009, Dr. Lai joined the Division of Medical Genetics (Pediatrics) at University of Utah as Associate Professor and was promoted to Full Professor in 2014. He has also held Adjunct Professorship at the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology since 2017. Dr. Lai’s research focuses on the development of novel therapeutics for rare and common diseases, which include Classic Galactosemia, Phosphoglucomutase Deficiency, and cancers. He has been the Principal Investigator for numerous research grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association. Dr. Lai is currently a member for the American Heart Association and NIH SBIR/STTR Study Sections. He also serves as Associate Editor of BMC Medical Genetics and Editorial Board Member of Heliyon (Elsevier).
Education History
| Graduate Training |
Georgia State University |
MBA, MHA |
|---|---|---|
|
Emory University School of Medicine |
Postdoctoral Training | |
| Doctoral Training |
University of Maryland |
PhD |
|
University of Bradford |
BSc | |
| Diploma |
Hong Kong Polytechnic |
Diploma |
Selected Publications
Journal Article
- Wierenga KJ, Lai K, Buchwald P, Tang M (2008). High-throughput screening for human galactokinase inhibitors. J Biomol Screen, 13(5), 415-23.
Patent
- Lai K (2012). A Set of Small Molecule Inhibitors for Human Galactokinase (Role: First Inventor). U.S. Patent No. 12/672,347. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Lai K (2011). Galactokinase Inhibitors for the Treatment and Prevention of Associated Diseases and Disorders (Role: Co-inventor); International patent filed by National Chemical Genomics Center/National Institutes of Health. U.S. Patent No. PCT/US11/53021. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Lai K (2008). A set of small molecule inhibitors for human galactokinase. U.S. Patent No. PCT/US08/73152. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.