Jihyun Song

Jihyun Song, PhD

Languages spoken: English, Korean

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Internal Medicine

Divisions: Hematology & Hematologic Malignancies

As a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology & Hematologic Malignancies at the University of Utah, I have dedicated my career to exploring the molecular changes in blood cells under various hypoxic conditions, influenced by environmental factors, genetic variations, disease-causing mutations, and the molecular mechanisms of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).

During my time as a graduate research assistant in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Utah, my focus has been on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of neocytolysis—a rapid overcorrection of hypoxia-induced erythrocytosis upon rapid descent to normoxia—using a mouse model I developed. Our discoveries indicated that neocytolysis is triggered by a hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-mediated increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial mass.

In my postdoctoral research, I extended these findings from the mouse model of neocytolysis to a human disease model, specifically obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). I demonstrated that the absence of erythrocytosis in OSA is mediated by neocytolysis and inflammation, which suppress erythropoiesis.

My current research focuses on the evolutionary adaptation of the Andean Aymara to high-altitude hypoxia. This includes the discovery of NFKB1 variants that have evolved selectively in the Aymara population and their association with high hemoglobin levels. I am also investigating the role of HIF and iron deficiency in thrombosis in MPNs to to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Education History

Postdoctoral Fellowship University of Utah School of Medicine
 Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Utah School of Medicine
 PhD
Graduate Training Sungkyunkwan University
 MS
Sungkyunkwan University
 BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Zhang X, Song J, Shah BN, Han J, Hassan T, Miasniakova G, Sergueeva A, Nekhai S, Machado RF, Gladwin MT, Saraf SL, Prchal JT, Gordeuk VR (2023). Gene expression changes in sickle cell reticulocytes and their clinical associations. Sci Rep, 13(1), 12864. (Read full article)
  2. Song J, Sundar KM, Horvathova M, Gangaraju R, Indrak K, Christensen RD, Genzor S, Lundby C, Divoky V, Ganz T, Prchal JT (2023). Increased blood reactive oxygen species and hepcidin in obstructive sleep apnea precludes expected erythrocytosis. Am J Hematol. (Read full article)
  3. Amaru R, Song J, Reading NS, Gordeuk VR, Prchal JT (2023). "What We Know and What We Do Not Know about Evolutionary Genetic Adaptation to High Altitude Hypoxia in Andean Aymaras". Genes (Basel), 14(3). (Read full article)
  4. Song J, Kim SJ, Gollamudi J, Thiagarajan P, Prchal JT (2022). Downregulated KLF2 in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia induces prothrombotic gene expression. Blood Adv, 7(5), 712-717. (Read full article)
  5. Kralova B, Sochorcova L, Song J, Jahoda O, Hlusickova Kapralova K, Prchal JT, Divoky V, Horvathova M (2022). Developmental changes in iron metabolism and erythropoiesis in mice with human gain-of-function erythropoietin receptor. Am J Hematol, 97(10), 1286-1299. (Read full article)
  6. Chan XY, Volkova E, Eoh J, Black R, Fang L, Gorashi R, Song J, Wang J, Elliott MB, Barreto-Ortiz SF, Chen J, Lin BL, Santhanam L, Cheng L, Lee FS, Prchal JT, Gerecht S (2021). HIF2A gain-of-function mutation modulates the stiffness of smooth muscle cells and compromises vascular mechanics. iScience, 24(4), 102246. (Read full article)
  7. Gordeuk VR, Shah BN, Zhang X, Thuma PE, Zulu S, Moono R, Reading NS, Song J, Zhang Y, Nouraie M, Campbell A, Minniti CP, Rana SR, Darbari DS, Kato GJ, Niu M, Castro OL, Machado R, Gladwin MT, Prchal JT (2020). The CYB5R3c .350C>G and G6PD A alleles modify severity of anemia in malaria and sickle cell disease. Am J Hematol, 95(11), 1269-1279. (Read full article)
  8. Gangaraju R, Song J, Kim SJ, Tashi T, Reeves BN, Sundar KM, Thiagarajan P, Prchal JT (2019). Thrombotic, inflammatory, and HIF-regulated genes and thrombosis risk in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. Blood Adv, 4(6), 1115-1130. (Read full article)
  9. Tashi T, Swierczek S, Kim SJ, Salama ME, Song J, Heikal N, King KY, Hickman K, Litton S, Prchal JT (2018). Pegylated interferon Alfa-2a and hydroxyurea in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia: differential cellular and molecular responses. Leukemia, 32(8), 1830-1833. (Read full article)
  10. Song J, Prchal JT (2018). Evaluation of Erythrocyte Changes After Normoxic Return from Hypoxia. Methods Mol Biol, 1742, 185-194. (Read full article)
  11. Song J, Sundar K, Gangaraju R, Prchal JT (2017). Regulation of erythropoiesis after normoxic return from chronic sustained and intermittent hypoxia. J Appl Physiol (1985), 123(6), 1671-1675. (Read full article)
  12. Crawford JE, Amaru R, Song J, Julian CG, Racimo F, Cheng JY, Guo X, Yao J, Ambale-Venkatesh B, Lima JA, Rotter JI, Stehlik J, Moore LG, Prchal JT, Nielsen R (2017). Natural Selection on Genes Related to Cardiovascular Health in High-Altitude Adapted Andeans. Am J Hum Genet, 101(5), 752-767. (Read full article)
  13. Reading NS, Shooter C, Song J, Miller R, Agarwal A, Lanikova L, Clark B, Thein SL, Divoky V, Prchal JT (2016). Loss of Major DNase I Hypersensitive Sites in Duplicated β-globin Gene Cluster Incompletely Silences HBB Gene Expression. Hum Mutat, 37(11), 1153-1156. (Read full article)
  14. Divoky V, Song J, Horvathova M, Kralova B, Votavova H, Prchal JT, Yoon D (2015). Delayed hemoglobin switching and perinatal neocytolysis in mice with gain-of-function erythropoietin receptor. J Mol Med (Berl), 94(5), 597-608. (Read full article)
  15. Song J, Yoon D, Christensen RD, Horvathova M, Thiagarajan P, Prchal JT (2015). HIF-mediated increased ROS from reduced mitophagy and decreased catalase causes neocytolysis. J Mol Med (Berl), 93(8), 857-66. (Read full article)
  16. Kapralova K, Lanikova L, Lorenzo F, Song J, Horvathova M, Divoky V, Prchal JT (2013). RUNX1 and NF-E2 upregulation is not specific for MPNs, but is seen in polycythemic disorders with augmented HIF signaling. Blood, 123(3), 391-4. (Read full article)
  17. McClain DA, Abuelgasim KA, Nouraie M, Salomon-Andonie J, Niu X, Miasnikova G, Polyakova LA, Sergueeva A, Okhotin DJ, Cherqaoui R, Okhotin D, Cox JE, Swierczek S, Song J, Simon MC, Huang J, Simcox JA, Yoon D, Prchal JT, Gordeuk VR (2012). Decreased serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels in patients with Chuvash polycythemia: a role for HIF in glucose metabolism. J Mol Med (Berl), 91(1), 59-67. (Read full article)
  18. Kim Y, Song J, Mays CE, Titlow W, Yoon D, Ryou C (2009). Changes in gene expression of kringle domain-containing proteins in murine brains and neuroblastoma cells infected by prions. Mol Cell Biochem, 328(1-2), 177-82. (Read full article)

Review

  1. Tashi T, Song J, Prchal J (2019). Congenital and evolutionary modulations of hypoxia sensing and their erythroid phenotype. [Review]. Curr Opin Physiol, 7, 27-32. (Read full article)

Editorial

  1. Song J, Christensen RD, Thiagarajan P, Prchal JT (2021). Does neocytolysis exist after descent from high altitude? Acta Physiol (Oxf), 233(3), e13713. (Read full article)
  2. Song J, Tashi T, Prchal JT (2019). Editorial Comment on: Inhibition of Suicidal Erythrocyte Death by Chronic Hypoxia by Tang et al. (From: Tang F, Feng L, Li R, Wang W, Liu H, Yang Q, Ge R-L. High Alt Med Biol 2019;20:112-119; DOI: 10.1089/ham.2017.0159). High Alt Med Biol, 20(2), 120-121. (Read full article)

Letter

  1. Reeves BN, Kim SJ, Song J, Wilson KJ, Henderson MW, Key NS, Pawlinski R, Prchal JT (2021). Tissue factor activity is increased in neutrophils from JAK2 V617F-mutated essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera patients. [Letter to the editor]. Am J Hematol, 97(2), E37-E40. (Read full article)
  2. Kim SJ, Song J, Reading NS, Lautersztain J, Kutlar A, Agarwal AM, Coetzer TL, Prchal JT (2021). Novel mechanism of hereditary pyropoikilocytosis phenotype due to co-inheritance of β globin and α spectrin mutations. [Letter to the editor]. Am J Hematol, 96(5), E150-E154. (Read full article)
  3. Zhang X, Song J, Shah BN, Nekhai S, Miasnikova G, Sergueeva A, Prchal JT, Gordeuk VR (2020). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells show prominent gene expression by erythroid progenitors in diseases characterized by heightened erythropoiesis. [Letter to the editor]. Br J Haematol, 190(1), e42-e45. (Read full article)
  4. Gordeuk VR, Miasnikova GY, Sergueeva AI, Lorenzo FR, Zhang X, Song J, Stockton DW, Prchal JT (2019). Thrombotic risk in congenital erythrocytosis due to up-regulated hypoxia sensing is not associated with elevated hematocrit. [Letter to the editor]. Haematologica, 105(3), e87-e90. (Read full article)
  5. Sergueeva A, Miasnikova G, Shah BN, Song J, Lisina E, Okhotin DJ, Nouraie M, Nekhai S, Ammosova T, Niu XM, Prchal JT, Zhang X, Gordeuk VR (2017). Prospective study of thrombosis and thrombospondin-1 expression in Chuvash polycythemia. [Letter to the editor]. Haematologica, 102(5), e166-e169. (Read full article)