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Mia L. Huang, PhD

Professor

Department of Chemistry

Mia L. Huang, PhD

Research Focus

Glycans are important biomolecular regulators, yet their structural complexity often precludes detailed analysis of their functions. The Huang Lab investigates questions in chemical glycobiology related to the study of stem cell differentiation, musculoskeletal research, or cancer. We seek to develop strategies to illuminate the mechanisms through which glycans orchestrate these biological events. The Lab employs techniques in synthetic chemistry, mass spectrometry, and protein engineering to illuminate fundamental mechanisms involved in glycan-protein biology.

Select Publications

  • Joeh, Eugene; O'Leary, Timothy; Li, Weichao; Hawkins, Richard; Hung, Jonathan R.; Parker, Christopher G.; Huang, Mia L. Mapping glycan-mediated galectin-3 interactions by live cell proximity labeling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2020, 117, 27329-27338.

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  • Vilen, Zak; Joeh, Eugene; Lee, Elizabeth; Huang, Mia Lace T. Surfaceome Profiling Identifies Basigin-Chaperoned Protein Clients. ChemBioChem 2023, 24, e202300073.

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News, Events & Media
Scripps Research team identifies sugar molecules that trigger placental formation
Video

Scripps Research team identifies sugar molecules that trigger placental formation

During the first weeks of pregnancy, the developing placenta in a mother’s womb undergoes a dramatic change. Individual cells merge, forming a continuous barrier that will spend the next nine months ferrying oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus while keeping the mother's immune system at bay. When this structure fails to form properly, pregnancies are at higher risk of complications, including preeclampsia and restricted fetal growth. Now, scientists at Scripps Research have identified a key player in the placenta’s transformation—a molecule called galectin-3 that binds to sugar molecules on specific cell surface proteins, likely holding placental cells tightly together to fuse.

Chemistry Maternal Health Mia Huang
Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 34th graduating class
News

Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 34th graduating class

 

Institute News
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies
News

How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies

Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug binding across the human proteome.

Chemistry
Scripps Research team identifies sugar molecules that trigger placental formation
News

Scripps Research team identifies sugar molecules that trigger placental formation

Study reveals how sugar-protein interactions are critical for the placenta during early pregnancy, shedding light on complications like preeclampsia and restricted fetal growth.

Chemistry
Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 33rd graduating class
News

Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 33rd graduating class

The ceremony represented the largest graduating class since the doctoral program’s inception in 1989.

Graduate Program Institute News Education
Three Scripps Research scientists named “Prebys Research Heroes”
Magazine

Three Scripps Research scientists named “Prebys Research Heroes”

Three Scripps Research scientists have been named Prebys Research Heroes: associate chemistry professor Mia Huang, PhD; assistant neuroscience professor Xin Jin, PhD; and neuroscience professor Lisa Stowers, PhD.

Awards & Honors
Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 32nd graduating class
News

Scripps Research’s Skaggs Graduate School awards doctoral degrees to 32nd graduating class

Skaggs family also honored at commencement ceremony as first recipients of Scripps Research Presidential Medal

Graduate Program Institute News Education
Decoding sugar messages to create new diagnostics and therapeutics
Video

Decoding sugar messages to create new diagnostics and therapeutics

Sugary molecules called glycans encapsulate our cells, serving as beacons to direct key biological activities, from tissue communication and growth to immune system activation. However, scientists have historically had limited ways to study glycans. In this Front Row lecture, Scripps Research associate professor Mia Huang shared the innovative tools her lab is using to decode the language of glycans. Her expertise in chemical biology is guiding the creation of new ways to diagnose or treat complex conditions, such as cancer and liver disease.

Chemistry Cancer Events Front Row Lecture Series
Groundbreaking Science.
Life-changing Medicine.