Dr. Ma is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a member of the Center for Pharmacogenetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. He obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003. From there, he went to National Institutes of Health (NIH) and completed his postdoctoral training in Dr. Frank J. Gonzalez’s laboratory in 2008. Afterward, he worked as an Assistant Professor at University of Kansas Medical Center, until he joined the University of Pittsburgh in 2013.
Graduate Program Affiliation(s)
Biochemical pharmacology
Center Affiliation(s)
Center for Pharmacogenetics
Practice Area/Expertise
Drug metabolism, drug-induced liver injury, toxicometabolomics, and safety-based precision medicine
Honors / Awards
2007 Fellows Award for Research Excellence, sponsored by NIH
2007 Postdoctoral Scientist Award in Toxicology (1st place), sponsored by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
2008 Fellows Award for Research Excellence, sponsored by NIH
2018 The ASPET 2018 Junior Investigator Award, sponsored by the Toxicology Division, ASPET.
2007 Postdoctoral Scientist Award in Toxicology (1st place), sponsored by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
2008 Fellows Award for Research Excellence, sponsored by NIH
2018 The ASPET 2018 Junior Investigator Award, sponsored by the Toxicology Division, ASPET.
Presentations
Selected papers in recent 5 years:
(1). Shehu AI, Lu J, Wang P, Zhu J, Wang Y, Yang D, McMahon D, Xie W, Gonzalez FJ, Ma X. Pregnane X receptor activation potentiates ritonavir hepatotoxicity. J Clin Invest. 2019 Apr 30;130. pii: 128274. doi: 10.1172/JCI128274. PubMed PMID: 31039134.
(2). Wang P, Zhu J, Shehu AI, Lu J, Chen J, Zhong XB, Ma X. Enzymes and Pathways of Kavain Bioactivation and Biotransformation. Chem Res Toxicol. 2019 Jul 15;32(7):1335-1342. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00098. Epub 2019 Jul 2. PubMed PMID: 31265262
(3). Wang P, Sachar M, Lu J, Shehu AI, Zhu J, Chen J, Liu K, Anderson KE, Xie W, Gonzalez F J, Klaassen CD, Ma X. The essential role of the transporter ABCG2 in the pathophysiology of erythropoietic protoporphyria. Science Advances 2019 Sep 18. Vol. 5, no. 9, eaaw6127. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw6127.
(4). Zhu J, Tian X, Shehu A, McMahon D, Ma X. ABCG2 Deficiency Does Not Alter Dolutegravir Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2020 Jul;374(1):38-43. PubMed PMID: 32303561.
(5). Zhu J, Lu J, Tung HC, Liu K, Li J, Grant DM, Xie W, Ma X. Cell Type-Specific Roles of CD38 in the Interactions of Isoniazid with NAD+ in the Liver. Drug Metab Dispos. 2020 Dec;48(12):1372-1379. doi: 10.1124/dmd.120.000139. Epub 2020 Oct 5. PMID: 33020065.
(6). Shehu A, Zhu J, Li J, Lu J, McMahon D, Xie W, Gonzalez FJ, Ma X. Targeting nuclear receptors PXR and CAR to prevent cobicistat hepatotoxicity. Toxicol Sci 2021; 181(1):58-67. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfab023. PMID: 33629115.
(7). Hussain Z, Zhu J, Ma X. Metabolism and hepatotoxicity of pyrazinamide, an anti-tuberculosis drug. Drug Metab Dispos. 2021 Aug;49(8):679-682. doi: 10.1124/dmd.121.000389. PMID: 34074731.
(8). Gu R, Liang A, Liao G, To I, Shehu A, Ma X. Roles of co-factors in drug-induced liver injury: drug metabolism and beyond. Drug Metab Dispos. 2022 May;50(5):646-654. PMID: 35221288.
(9). Lei S, Lu J, Cheng A, Hussain Z, Tidgewell K, Zhu J, Ma X. Identification of PXR activators from Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gou Teng) and Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's Claw). Drug Metab Dispos. 2023 Feb 16: DMD-AR-2022-001234. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36797057.
(1). Shehu AI, Lu J, Wang P, Zhu J, Wang Y, Yang D, McMahon D, Xie W, Gonzalez FJ, Ma X. Pregnane X receptor activation potentiates ritonavir hepatotoxicity. J Clin Invest. 2019 Apr 30;130. pii: 128274. doi: 10.1172/JCI128274. PubMed PMID: 31039134.
(2). Wang P, Zhu J, Shehu AI, Lu J, Chen J, Zhong XB, Ma X. Enzymes and Pathways of Kavain Bioactivation and Biotransformation. Chem Res Toxicol. 2019 Jul 15;32(7):1335-1342. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00098. Epub 2019 Jul 2. PubMed PMID: 31265262
(3). Wang P, Sachar M, Lu J, Shehu AI, Zhu J, Chen J, Liu K, Anderson KE, Xie W, Gonzalez F J, Klaassen CD, Ma X. The essential role of the transporter ABCG2 in the pathophysiology of erythropoietic protoporphyria. Science Advances 2019 Sep 18. Vol. 5, no. 9, eaaw6127. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw6127.
(4). Zhu J, Tian X, Shehu A, McMahon D, Ma X. ABCG2 Deficiency Does Not Alter Dolutegravir Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2020 Jul;374(1):38-43. PubMed PMID: 32303561.
(5). Zhu J, Lu J, Tung HC, Liu K, Li J, Grant DM, Xie W, Ma X. Cell Type-Specific Roles of CD38 in the Interactions of Isoniazid with NAD+ in the Liver. Drug Metab Dispos. 2020 Dec;48(12):1372-1379. doi: 10.1124/dmd.120.000139. Epub 2020 Oct 5. PMID: 33020065.
(6). Shehu A, Zhu J, Li J, Lu J, McMahon D, Xie W, Gonzalez FJ, Ma X. Targeting nuclear receptors PXR and CAR to prevent cobicistat hepatotoxicity. Toxicol Sci 2021; 181(1):58-67. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfab023. PMID: 33629115.
(7). Hussain Z, Zhu J, Ma X. Metabolism and hepatotoxicity of pyrazinamide, an anti-tuberculosis drug. Drug Metab Dispos. 2021 Aug;49(8):679-682. doi: 10.1124/dmd.121.000389. PMID: 34074731.
(8). Gu R, Liang A, Liao G, To I, Shehu A, Ma X. Roles of co-factors in drug-induced liver injury: drug metabolism and beyond. Drug Metab Dispos. 2022 May;50(5):646-654. PMID: 35221288.
(9). Lei S, Lu J, Cheng A, Hussain Z, Tidgewell K, Zhu J, Ma X. Identification of PXR activators from Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gou Teng) and Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's Claw). Drug Metab Dispos. 2023 Feb 16: DMD-AR-2022-001234. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36797057.
