Kirk J. Wangensteen

Year Entered: 2000

Degrees Received:
B.A., Biological Sciences, Northwestern University, 2000
Ph.D., Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics Graduate Program, 2007

Honors and Awards:
Jan Lunden Award for Molecular Hepatology Research, Minnesota Medical Foundation, 2004 and 2007
J. Jack Kaplan Award for outstanding research, Minnesota Medical Foundation, 2007

Thesis Advisor: Stephen Ekker, Ph.D., Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics Graduate Program

Thesis Research: 

Development of a genetic therapy for alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency that includes RNA inhibition (RNAi) and the Sleeping Beauty transposon system.

Publications:

Wangensteen KJ, Wilber A, Keng VW, He Z, Matise I, Wangensteen L, Carson CM, Chen Y, Steer CJ, McIvor RS, Largaespada DA, Wang X, Ekker SC. A facile method for somatic, lifelong manipulation of multiple genes in the mouse liver. Hepatology. 2008;47:1714-24.

Wilber A, Wangensteen KJ, Chen Y, Zhuo L, Frandsen JL, Bell JB, Chen ZJ, Ekker SC, McIvor RS, Wang X. Messenger RNA as a source of transposase for sleeping beauty transposon-mediated correction of hereditary tyrosinemia type 1. Mol Ther. 2007;15:1280-87.

Balciunas D, Wangensteen KJ, Wilber A, Bell J, Geurts A, Sivasubbu S, Wang X, Hackett PB, Largaespada DA, McIvor RS, Ekker SC. Harnessing a high cargo-capacity transposon for genetic applications in vertebrates. PLoS Genet. 2006;2:e169.

Sivasubbu S, Balciunas D, Davidson AE, Pickart MA, Hermanson SB, Wangensteen KJ, Wolbrink DC, Ekker SC. Gene-breaking transposon mutagenesis reveals an essential role for histone H2afza in zebrafish larval development. Mech Dev. 2006;123:513-529.

Wilber A, Frandsen, JL, Wangensteen KJ, Ekker SC, Wang X, McIvor RS Dynamic gene expression after systemic delivery of plasmid DNA as determined by in vivo bioluminescence imaging. Hum Gene Ther. 2005;16:1325-1332.