Bo (Eddie) Pan Position/Title: Ph.D. Candidate email: bopan@uoguelph.ca Phone: (519) 824-4120 ext.56226 Office: ANNU 132 Research Gate

Bo (Eddie) Pan came from a small village in rural northeastern of China. His family runs a small mixed farm and has many different animals including dogs, sheep, geese, ducks, chickens, pigs, pigeons, and even foxes. For the most of his childhood, he played with these fantastic animals and developed a passion for animal agriculture. Through his experiences in helping his family with the farm, Eddie decided to attend the Qingdao Agricultural University with the intention of expanding his knowledge of farming. Soon he discovered the world of animal reproduction research. Upon completion of his M.Sc. degree in 2011, he moved to Canada and joined Dr.Julang Li’s team in the department of Animal Biosciences at University of Guelph under a visiting scientist program. Then he started a Ph.D. program in animal physiology and reproduction. Currently, his focus is to understand the physiology and mechanism of animal fertility and reproduction, specifically, investigating the role of microRNA during follicular development and maturation. Outside of his research, Eddie still enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Academic History

• Ph.D. Candidate in Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada (2015-Present) 
• Visiting Scientist. Animal Biosciences department, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada (2011-2014) 
• M.Sc. in Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China (2011) 
• Undergraduate degree in Biotechnology, in the Department of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China (2008)

Awards and Honours

• 2017 The Academic Mentorship Prize, University of Guelph, Canada
• 2015-Present, Provincially-funded Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS), Ontario, Canada
• 2011   University Outstanding Master’s Graduates Award, Qingdao Province, China
• 2010   Blackett Scholarship for Young Scientist, Shandong Black Cattle Science & Technology CO., LTD, Qingdao, China
• 2008   University Outstanding Graduates Award, Wuhan Province, China
• 2007   National Scholarship for Encouragement, China

Research Impact

• Animal production systems ultimately depend on reproduction, and one particularly important time in the reproductive cycle of any species involves the period around fertilization and subsequent early embryo development. During this period, oocyte, sperm, and maternal factors interact in a series of complex events that dictate the developmental fate of the embryo. Central to these events is a shift in the expression of important genes. Previous studies have suggested that specific small non-coding RNA molecules potently influence cellular function through effects on gene expression, Variations in the levels of small non-coding RNAs present in the oocyte or sperm, or synthesized by the embryo, are likely to have major effects on important reproductive parameters. We propose to characterize these small RNAs in porcine oocytes and early embryos and then establish whether they are associated with fertility. The identification and manipulation of these RNAs may provide novel opportunities for producers and companies in the Ontario Agri-Food sector to improve reproductive outcomes and increase production efficiency.  

Featured Publications

• Pan, Bo; *Li, Julang, MiR-21 regulates cumulus cell-oocyte complex matrix remodeling by down-regulating TIMP3 during in vitro maturation, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology (in press).
• Toms, Derek; Pan, Bo; *Li, Julang, Endocrine Regulation in the Ovary by MicroRNA during the Estrous Cycle, Frontiers in Endocrinology, January 2018
• Pan, Bo; Toms, Derek; *Li, Julang, MicroRNA-574 suppresses oocyte maturation via targeting hyaluronan synthase 2 in porcine cumulus cells., Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, p ajpcell. 00065. 2017, 2017/11/15.
• Toms, Derek; Pan, Bo; *Wu, De; *Li, Julang, Progesterone receptor expression in granulosa cells is suppressed by microRNA-378-3p., Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 399, pp 95-102, 2015/1/5.
• Pan, Bo; Toms, Derek; Shen, Wei; *Li, Julang, MicroRNA-378 regulates oocyte maturation via the suppression of aromatase in porcine cumulus cells., Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 308(5), pp 372-375, 2015/1/27.
• Park, Bong-Wook; Pan, Bo; Toms, Derek; Huynh, Evanna; Byun, June-Ho; Lee, Yeon-Mi; Shen, Wei; Rho, Gyu-Jin; Li, Julang, Ovarian-cell-like cells from skin stem cells restored estradiol production and estrus cycling in ovariectomized mice., Stem Cells and Development, 23(14), pp 1647-1658, 2014/7/15. 
• Zhang, Lian-Jun; Pan, Bo; Chen, Bo; Zhang, Xi-Feng; Liang, Gui-Jin; Feng, Yan-Ni; Wang, Lin-Qing; Ma, Jin-Mei; Li, Lan; *Shen, Wei, Expression and epigenetic dynamics of transcription regulator Lhx8 during mouse oogenesis, Gene, 506(1), pp 1-9, 2012/9/10.
• Pan, Bo; Chao, Huhe; Chen, Bo; Zhang, Lianjun; Li, Lan; Sun, Xiaofeng; *Shen, Wei, DNA methylation of germ-cell-specific basic helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcription factors, Sohlh2 and Figl alpha during gametogenesis, Molecular Human Reproduction, 17(9), pp 550-561, 2011/9.