Regular biography
Dejian Ren is a Professor of Biology and Graduate Chair at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Biology. His research focuses on Cell and Developmental Biology, Neurobiology, Behavior, and Physiology. Specifically, his work explores the regulation of neuronal excitability and the functional roles of ion channel proteins in brain function and organelle biology. Ren's laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal excitability, including the NALCN-UNC80-UNC79 protein complex, and the biophysical properties of endosomal and lysosomal membrane proteins. He teaches courses in Molecular Physiology and Molecular Evolution of Physiological Functions and maintains an active research profile with numerous publications in leading scientific journals.