Curriculum Vitae Bruce Blumberg, Ph.D. Professor Department of Developmental and Cell Biology Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Department of Biomedical Engineering Developmental Biology Center Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics University of California, Irvine 2011 BioSci 3 Irvine, CA 92697-2300

Education, training, and professional experience:

(2008-present) Professor, Departments of Developmental and Cell Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA.
At UCI, my laboratory continues to study the biology of nuclear hormone receptors in development, adult physiology and disease with a particular emphasis on how development and physiology can be disrupted by hormonally active compounds in the diet and environment. We originated the "Obesogen Hypothesis" which holds that endocrine active chemicals in the diet and environment elicit epigenetic modifications that can predispose exposed individuals to obesity and exacerbate the effects of lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. 

(2004 - 2008) Associate Professor, Departments of Developmental and Cell Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA.

(1998 - 2004) Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA.

(1992-1998) Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA.
I joined Ron Evans’s group at the Salk Institute as a Staff Scientist in 1992 where I spearheaded the effort to identify ligands for orphan nuclear receptors. We were successful in identifying ligands for two new receptor-mediated signaling pathways as well as previously unsuspected natural ligands for the retinoic acid receptors.

(1988-1992) Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA Medical School, Los Angeles, CA.
In 1988, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Eddy De Robertis for a second postdoctoral fellowship. While at UCLA, I studied the molecular nature of Spemann's Organizer and isolated homeobox genes specifically expressed in the organizer. It was at this time that I became interested in intercellular signaling processes and began to study nuclear hormone receptors. I isolated six orphan nuclear receptors expressed in early Xenopus embryos and decided to focus on identifying their ligands.

(1987-1988) Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ.
My first postdoctoral training was in the laboratory of Dr. Markku Kurkinen. Here I continued my earlier studies into the structure of mouse collagen IV.

(1982-1987) Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
I did my graduate studies in the laboratory of Dr. John H. Fessler. My work was focused on the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the extracellular matrix, particularly collagen type IV from Drosophila and mammals.

(1973-1976) Rutgers University Camden, NJ.
As an undergraduate I first became interested in Developmental Biology while working in the laboratory of Professor Hsin-yi Lee. I received an A.B. in Biology in 1976

Campus activities - current:

Faculty Senate Subcommittee on International Education (09-2017-present)

Network and Computing Services (NACS) advisory committee (2001 - present)

Undergraduate co-advisor for Developmental and Cell Biology Majors (2005-present)

Faculty advisor Graduate Program in Molecular Biology Genetics and Biochemistry (2006-present)

Campus activities - past:

Academic Senate advisory panel for the Honors Program (2003 - 2005)

Academic Senate Council on Research, Computing, and Library Resources (2003 - 2006)

Natural Sciences II Building Advisory Committee (2000 - 2003)

BioSci machine shop committee – chairman (1998 - 2004)

BioSci web site committee (1999 - 2000)

Biomedical engineering undergraduate affairs committee (2001 - 2002)

BioSci Dean's advisory committee for technology transfer (2000 - 2006)

Biomedical engineering facilities committee (1999 - 2000)

Executive committee of the faculty (2000 -2001 )

BioSci Computing committee (2004 - 2006)

BioSci Undergraduate Cabinet (2004 - 2007)

Faculty mentor Cross Cultural Center (2006-2009)

Academic Senate Council on Student Experience (2006-2008, Chair 2007-2008)

Co-Director, Program in the Developmental Biology of Cancer, UCI Cancer Center (2004 -2011)

Faculty Awards committee (09/2010-08/2013)

Faculty Research and Travel Committee (09/2014-06/2017)

Executive Committee of the Faculty (08/2015-09/2017)

Academic Senate Council on Faculty Welfare (09/2010-08/2013)

Academic Senate Committee on Committees (09/2014-06/2017)

Mouse peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma – US 5,861,274

Human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma compositions and methods - US 6,200,802, US 6,815,168, US 7,250,273

High throughput functional screening of cDNAs – US 6,274,321

Method, polypeptides, nucleotide sequence of XOR-6 (BXR), a vitamin D-like receptor from Xenopus - US 6,391,847

Steroid-activated nuclear receptors and uses therefore (SXR) - US 6,756,491, US 6,809,178, US 7,214,482

Transgenic mice expressing a human SXR receptor polypeptide - US 6,984,773

Novel GAL4 chimeric receptors and uses therefor – pending (in prosecution)

Honors and awards:

2018    Grand Rounds - Endocrinology, University of California, San Francisco (10/2018)

2017    Invited Special Lecture - Japan Society of Toxicology, Yokohama, Japan (07/2017)

2016    Saphier Family Lecture - Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI (05/2016)

2015    Invited Special Lecture - University of Washington Graduate School Public Lecture Series on Obesity, Seattle, WA (05/2015)

2014    Invited Keynote Speaker – Annual Meeting of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, Chicago, IL (09/2014).

2013    Invited Keynote Speaker, Annual Meeting of Environment and Health Fund, Tel Aviv, Israel (12/2013).

2013    Invited Keynote Speaker – Japanese Society for Hygiene Annual Meeting, Kanazawa, Japan (03/2013)

2012    Elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

2012    Invited Keynote Speaker - Japanese Society for Endocrine Disruptor Research, Tokyo, Japan.

2012    Invited Keynote Speaker - 28th Annual Symposium of the European Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry, Bilbao, Spain.

2012    Invited Keynote Speaker - University of Pennsylvania 6th Annual Symposium for the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology,    Philadelphia, PA.

2012    Invited Keynote Speaker - Grand Rounds - University of Pittsburgh Medical School.

2011    Invited Keynote Speaker - University of Cincinnati - Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Programs. November, 2011.

2011    Invited Keynote Speaker - "Chemicals, Obesity and Diabetes - How Science leads us to action", Colby College, Waterville, ME. October,

2011    Invited special "State of the Art lecture" - Teratology Society Annual Meeting, San Diego, June, 2011

2009    UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty mentor of the month (November, 2009)

2006    Invited Plenary Lecturer, International Workshop on the Latest Concepts in Developmental Biology, Los Cocos, Cordoba, Argentina 

2005    Invited Plenary Lecturer, "International Conference on the Promising Next Generation Technology of Toxicogenomics in Drug & Food Safety and Environmental Human Health" - 2nd annual meeting of the Korean Society of Toxicogenomics and Toxicoproteomics, Seoul, Korea

2005    Invited Keynote Speaker, 8th Vitamin K and Bone Meeting, Tokyo, Japan 

2004   Invited Speaker and Special U.S. Delegate to the Ministry of Environment, Japan, 7th International Symposium on Environmental Endocrine Disrupters, Nagoya, Japan

2004    Invited U.S. Delegate, OECD/IPCS Workshop on Toxicogenomics, Kyoto, Japan 

2004    Invited Special Lecture, 22nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Osaka, Japan 

1989    Postdoctoral Scholar of the National Institutes of Health, F32 award  (1989-1992)

1988    Postdoctoral Scholar of the Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust 

1983    Recipient USPHS Tumor and Cell Biology Training Grant T21 award  (1983-1986)

1976    Elected member of Athenaeum Honor Society of Rutgers University 

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