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Oscar Perez-Leal, MD

Oscar Perez-Leal, MD

Oscar Perez-Leal, MD

  • School of Pharmacy

    • Pharmaceutical Sciences

      • Assistant Professor

        Programs

        • Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research
  1. Teaching Contributions:
    1. PharmD Teaching: Course coordinator= Concepts in Pharmacogenomics
    2. Graduate Teaching: Course coordinator= Advanced Pharmacogenomics
    3. Other Teaching Roles: Coordinator of the Certificate program in Precision Medicine, Pharmacogenomics and Translational Medicine.
  2. Research Overview:

My research centers on the development of innovative molecular tools to elucidate human disease mechanisms and advance therapeutic discovery. My laboratory has pioneered CRISPR-based genome editing methodologies, emphasizing the creation of sophisticated cellular models for real-time analysis of complex biological processes. A key contribution is the development of the patented FAST-HDR system, a breakthrough technology that enables CRISPR-mediated multiplex gene tagging with fluorescent proteins to generate cellular models for live-cell drug discovery. This platform has been successfully applied to study autophagy, lysosomal storage disorders, and drug toxicity. Currently, our efforts are directed toward refining FAST-HDR to improve its compatibility with induced pluripotent stem cells, thereby facilitating the creation of cellular models that extend beyond the capabilities of conventional laboratory cell lines.

  1. Research Interests:

CRISPR genome editing, Drug Discovery, Stem Cells, Organoids, Genetic Diseases

  1. Practice & Clinical/Community Engagement (If applicable):

N/A

  1. Key Publications:

Perez-Leal, O., Nixon-Abell, J., Barrero, C. A., Gordon, J. C., Oesterling, J., & Rico, M. C. (2021). Multiplex gene tagging with CRISPR-Cas9 for live-cell microscopy and application to study the role of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in autophagy, mitochondrial dynamics, and cell growth. The CRISPR Journal, 4(6), 854-871.

Perez-Leal, O., Barrero, C. A., & Merali, S. (2017). Pharmacological stimulation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 translation activates antioxidant responses. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 292(34), 14108-14121.

Khachatryan, H., Olszowy, B., Barrero, C. A., Gordon, J., & Perez-Leal, O. (2023). Identification of inhibitors of tubulin polymerization using a CRISPR-edited cell line with endogenous fluorescent tagging of β-tubulin and histone H1. Biomolecules, 13(2), 249.

  1. Administrative & Service Roles:
    1. Institutional service (Member of the Graduate Committee and the Teaching and Evaluation Committee)
  2. Collaboration Interests & Opportunities:

I am interested in collaborating on developing cellular models that enhance the study of protein function and drug discovery through advanced CRISPR genome editing. I am open to working with both academic and industry collaborators.

Professional Profiles:

Link to Google Scholar

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XGESIIYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

 

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