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Picture of Dr. C. Julie Chang

C. Julie  Chang Ph.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Phone
  • (310) 267-3340
Office
33-030 CHS
Address

UCLA School of Dentistry
10833 Le Conte Ave.
Box 951668
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668

Classifications
  • Full-Time Faculty
Academic Sections
  • Biosystems and Function
Biography

Dr. C. Julie Chang is an experienced molecular microbiologist and has been studied bacterial pathogenesis with Dr. Ton-That since 2009. Her research interest has been the bacterial cell surface virulence factors involving the polymicrobial interaction during the oral biofilm development. The sortase-mediated cell surface assembly of the Gram-positive oral bacterial pili has been extensively illustrated via biochemical and genetic means. Her current research focus has been on the mechanism and components involving the bacterial interaction in the development of periodontitis. She has served as an important role in supervising graduate and postgraduate students and laboratory management. Additionally, she has led and collaborated in many research projects, whose results were published in highly respected peer-reviewed journals.

Representative Publications
  • Chang C, Amer BR, Osipiuk J, McConnell SA, Huang I-H, Hsieh V, Fu J, Nguyen HH, Muroski J, Flores E, Ogorzalek Loo RR, Loo JA, Putkey JA, Joachimiak A, Das A, Clubb RT and Ton-That H (2018) In vitro reconstitution of sortase-catalyzed pilus polymerization reveals structural elements involved in pilin crosslinking. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA115(24) E5477-E5486
  • Chang C, Wu C, Osipiuk J, Siegel SD, Zhu S, Liu X, Joachimiak A, Clubb RT, Das A, and Ton-That H (2019). Cell-to-cell interaction requires optimal positioning of a pilus tip adhesin modulated by Gram-positive transpeptidase enzymes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 116 (36):18041-18049
  • Wu C, Chen Y-W, Scheible M, Chang C, Wittchen M, Lee JH, Luong TT, Tiner, BL, Tauch A, Das A, and Ton-That H (2021) Genetic and molecular determinants of polymicrobial interaction in Fusobacterium nucleatum. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA118 (23) e2006482118
  • Ramirez NA, Wu C, Chang C, Siegel SD, Das A, and Ton-That H (2022) A conserved signal-peptidase antagonist modulates membrane homeostasis of actinobacterial sortase critical for surface morphogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 119(28): e2203114119
  • Chang C, Ton-That H, Osipiuk J, Joachimiak A, Das A, and Ton-That H (2024) Molecular basis for dual functions in pilus assembly modulated by the lid of a pilus-specific sortase. Journal of Biological Chemistry 300(6):107329
Educational & Professional Background
  • B.S. in Biology, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan, 1984
  • Ph.D. in Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 1994
Research & Interests
  • Oral Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Protein Biochemistry and Engineering
  • Innovation for Therapeutical Treatment of Oral and Dental Diseases
Publications
Professional Memberships
  • American Society for Microbiology
Awards
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,777,078: Triggered Pore Forming Agents