Hongjun Song, Ph.D.
Perelman Professor of Neuroscience
Department: Neuroscience
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
Perelman School of Medicine
Department of Neuroscience
415 Curie Blvd, Suite 111B
1st Floor Clinical Research Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Department of Neuroscience
415 Curie Blvd, Suite 111B
1st Floor Clinical Research Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-573-2449
Publications
Education:
B.S. (Biology)
Peking University, P.R. China, 1992.
MA, M Phil (Biology)
Columbia University, New York, 1995.
Ph.D. (Biology)
University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, 1998.
Permanent linkB.S. (Biology)
Peking University, P.R. China, 1992.
MA, M Phil (Biology)
Columbia University, New York, 1995.
Ph.D. (Biology)
University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, 1998.
Description of Research Expertise
Research in Dr. Hongjun Song's laboratory focuses on two core topics: (1) neural stem cell regulation and neurogenesis in the developing and adult mammalian brain and how these processes affect neural function; (2) epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms and their functions in the mammalian nervous system. The lab is also interested in addressing how dysfunction of these mechanisms may be involved in brain disorders.Selected Publications
Sun Y, Wang X, Zhang DY, Zhang Z, Bhattarai JP, Wang Y, Park KH, Dong W, Hung YF, Yang Q, Zhang F, Rajamani K, Mu S, Kennedy BC, Hong Y, Galanaugh J, Sambangi A, Kim SH, Wheeler G, Gonçalves T, Wang Q, Geschwind DH, Kawaguchi R, Viaene AN, Helbig I, Kessler SK, Hoke A, Wang H, Xu F, Binder ZA, Isaac Chen H, Pai EL, Stone S, Nasrallah MP, Christian KM, Fuccillo M, Toni N, Wu Z, Cheng HJ, O'Rourke DM, Ma M, Ming GL, Song H.: Brain-wide neuronal circuit connectome of human glioblastoma. Nature 2025.Logun M, Wang X, Sun Y, Bagley SJ, Li N, Desai A, Zhang DY, Nasrallah MP, Pai EL, Oner BS, Plesa G, Siegel D, Binder ZA, Ming GL, Song H, O'Rourke DM.: Patient-derived glioblastoma organoids as real-time avatars for assessing responses to clinical CAR-T cell therapy. Cell Stem Cell 32: 181-190, Feb 2025.
Zhang F, Fu Y, Jimenez-Cyrus D, Zhao T, Shen Y, Sun Y, Zhang Z, Wang Q, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind DH, He C, Ming GL, Song H.: m(6)A/YTHDF2-mediated mRNA decay targets TGF-β signaling to suppress the quiescence acquisition of early postnatal mouse hippocampal NSCs. Cell Stem Cell 32: 144-156, Jan 2025.
Shen Y, Wong SZH, Ma T, Zhang F, Wang Q, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind DH, Wang J, He C, Ming GL, Song H.: m(6)A deficiency impairs hypothalamic neurogenesis of feeding-related neurons in mice and human organoids and leads to adult obesity in mice. Cell Stem Cell 32: 727-743, May 2025.
Zhou Y, Su Y, Li S, Kennedy BC, Zhang DY, Bond AM, Sun Y, Jacob F, Lu L, Hu P, Viaene AN, Helbig I, Kessler SK, Lucas T, Salinas RD, Gu X, Chen HI, Wu H, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Nauen DW, Weinberger DR, Ming GL, Song H.: Molecular landscapes of human hippocampal immature neurons across lifespan. Nature 2022.
Berg DA, Su Y, Jimenez-Cyrus D, Patel A, Huang N, Morizet D, Lee S, Shah R, Ringeling FR, Jain R, Epstein JA, Wu QF, Canzar S, Ming GL, Song H, Bond AM.: A Common Embryonic Origin of Stem Cells Drives Developmental and Adult Neurogenesis. Cell 177: 654-668, Apr 2019.
Yoon Ki-Jun, Ringeling Francisca Rojas, Vissers Caroline, Jacob Fadi, Pokrass Michael, Jimenez-Cyrus Dennisse, Su Yijing, Kim Nam-Shik, Zhu Yunhua, Zheng Lily, Kim Sunghan, Wang Xinyuan, Doré Louis C, Jin Peng, Regot Sergi, Zhuang Xiaoxi, Canzar Stefan, He Chuan, Ming Guo-Li, Song Hongjun: Temporal Control of Mammalian Cortical Neurogenesis by m6A Methylation. Cell 171(4): 877-889.e17, Nov 2017.
Qian X, Nguyen HN, Song MM, Hadiono C, Ogden SC, Hammack C, Yao B, Hamersky GR, Jacob F, Zhong C, Yoon KJ, Jeang W, Lin L, Li Y, Thakor J, Berg DA, Zhang C, Kang E, Chickering M, Nauen D, Ho CY, Wen Z, Christian KM, Shi PY, Maher BJ, Wu H, Jin P, Tang H, Song HJ, Ming GL: Brain-region-specific organoids using mini-bioreactors for modeling ZIKV exposure. Cell 165(5): 1238-54, May 2016.
Song J, Zhong C, Bonaguidi MA, Sun GJ, Hsu D, Gu Y, Meletis K, Huang ZJ, Ge S, Enikolopov G, Deisseroth K, Luscher B, Christian KM, Ming GL, Song HJ: Neuronal circuitry mechanism regulating adult quiescent neural stem-cell fate decision. Nature 489(7414): 150-4, Sep 2012.
Bonaguidi MA, Wheeler MA, Shapiro JS, Stadel RP, Sun GJ, Ming GL, Song HJ: In vivo clonal analysis reveals self-renewing and multipotent adult neural stem cell characteristics. Cell 145(7): 1142-55, Jun 2011.
Guo JU, Su Y, Zhong C, Ming GL, Song HJ: Hydroxylation of 5-methylcytosine by TET1 promotes active DNA demethylation in the adult brain. Cell 145(3): 423-34, Apr 2011 Notes: (Cover).
Ma DK, Jang MH, Guo JU, Kitabatake Y, Chang ML, Pow-Anpongkul Na, Flavell RA, Lu B, Ming GL, Song HJ: Neuronal activity-induced Gadd45b promotes epigenetic DNA demethylation and adult neurogenesis. Science 323(5917): 1074-7, Feb 2009.