Min-Ae Song, PhD
Assistant Professor
Co-Director, Undergraduate Honors Program
Environmental Health Sciences
“I'm motivated by the belief that science should serve people. By studying gene-environmental interactions, I aim to turn epigenetic biomarkers into practical and applicable tools that prevent disease, improve care and promote health equity. Where we live, what we're exposed to and how we live should not determine our health destiny.”
Biography
Dr. Song is an environmental epigeneticist committed to advancing public health by uncovering how environmental and lifestyle exposures influence disease through gene-environment interactions. With a foundational background in biology and training in population sciences, her research seeks to reduce the burden of tobacco-related and cancer diseases through innovative, translational science.
Her expertise lies in identifying and applying epigenetic biomarkers, particularly DNA methylation, as tools to detect, predict and potentially reverse disease risk shaped by exposures to harmful substances and behaviors. Her work bridges molecular discovery with real-world impact, evolving from biomarker identification to the development of precision health tools that support targeted prevention, early detection and individualized care.
By integrating observational and interventional approaches, she strives to create accessible, disease-specific epigenetic biomarkers that inform clinical practice, individuals and public health policy. Her goal is to transform cutting-edge science into actionable strategies that promote health equity and prevent disease across populations.
Education
- Postdoctoral fellowship in Cancer Prevention/Tobacco Regulatory Sciences
- The Ohio State University, 2014-18
- PhD
- Cancer Epigenetics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2014
- MSc
- Molecular Genetics, CHA University College of Medicine, Korea, 2006
- BSc
- Biology, Sungshin Women’s University, Korea, 2004
Research interests
Epigenetics, biomarkers of exposure, biomarkers of effects, cancer risk factors, gene-environment tnteractions, molecular epidemiology, tobacco, cancer prevention, cancer, molecular carcinogenesis, and multi-omics data
- 2018 Nominated Junior Faculty Fellowship, Aspen Cancer Conference
- 2017 Publication of the year (1st Place), The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
- 2017 RMATRIX-II Collaboration Pilot Award, University of Hawaii
- 2017 Research Award, Prevent Cancer Foundation
- 2015 Center of Excellence in Regulatory Tobacco Science Pilot Award, The Ohio State University
- 2014 FDA Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellowship
- 2012 Weinman Innovator Award, University of Hawaii Foundation
Peer-Reviewed Research Articles
- Singh A, Kinnebrew G, Hsu PC, Weng DY, Song MA, Reisinger SA, McElroy JP, Keller-Hamilton B, Ferketich AK, Freudenheim JL, Shields PG. Untargeted Metabolomics and Body Mass in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis. Metabolites, 2023, doi.org/10.3390/metabo13080899
- Song MA, Wold LE, Aslaner DM, Archer KJ, Patel D, Jeon H, Chung D, Shields PG, Christman JW, Chung S. Long-term impact of daily E-cigarette exposure on the lungs of asthmatic mice. Nicotine Tob Res, 2023, 10.1093/ntr/ntad100, PMID: 37349133
- Shields PG†, Ying YL†, Brasky TM, Freudenheim JL, Li Z, McElroy JP, Reisinger SA, Song MA, Weng DY, Wewers MD, Whiteman NB, Ying Y, Mathé EA,. A Pilot Study Of Immunological and Microbiome Profiling Reveals Distinct Inflammatory Profiles For Smokers and Electronic Cigarette Users. †Equal contributors. Microorganisms. 2023, 10.3390/microorganisms11061405, PMID: 37374908 PMCID: PMC10303504
- Mori KM, McElroy JP, Weng DY, Chung S, Fadda P, Reisinger SA, Ying KL, Brasky TM, Wewers MD, Freudenheim JL, Shields PG*, Song MA*. Lung mitochondrial DNA copy number, inflammatory biomarkers, gene transcription and gene methylation in vapers and smokers. EBioMedicine. 2022, 85:104301, PMID: 36215783 (* corresponding author)
- Ying YL, Brasky TM, Freudenheim JL, McElroy JP, Nickerson QA, Song MA, Weng DY, Wewers MD, Whiteman NB, Mathé EA, Shields PG. Saliva and Lung Microbiome Associations with Electronic Cigarette Use and Smoking. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2022, 15(7):435-446, PMID: 35667088 PMCID: PMC9256774,
- Song MA†*, Seffernick AE†, Archer KJ, Mori KM, Park SY, Chang L, Ernst T, Tiirikainen M, Peplowska K, Wilkens LR, Le Marchand L, Lim U. Race/ethnicity-associated blood DNA methylation differences between Japanese and European American women: an exploratory study. Clin Epigenetics, 2021, 13:188, PMID: 34635168 PMCID: PMC8507376 (* corresponding author)
- Shields PG†, Song MA†, Freudenheim JL, Brasky TM, McElroy JP, Reisinger SA, Weng DY, Ren R, Eissenberg T, Wewers MD, Shilo K. EVALI, Lipid Laden Macrophages and Electronic Cigarettes in Healthy Adults, †Equal contributors, EBioMedicine. 2020
- Gavrilin MA, Mcandrew CC, Prather ER, Tsai MC, Spitzer CR, Song MA, Mitra S, Sarkar A, Shields PG, Diaz PT, Wewers MD. Inflammasome Adaptor ASC Is Highly Elevated in Lung Over Plasma and Relates to Inflammation and Lung Diffusion in the Absence of Speck Formation, Front. Immunol. 2020, PMID: 32265920 [PMCID: PMC7096349]
- Blount BC, Karwowski MP, Shields PG, Morel-Espinosa M, Valentin-Blasini L, Gardner M, Braselton M, Brosius CR, Caron KT, Chambers D, Corstvet J, Cowan E, De Jesús VR, Espinosa P, Fernandez C, Holder C, Kuklenyik Z, Kusovschi JD, Newman C, Reis GB, Rees J, Reese C, Silva L, Seyler T, Song MA, Sosnoff C, Spitzer CR, Tevis D, Wang L, Watson C, Wewers MD, Xia B, Heitkemper DT, Ghinai I, Layden J, Briss P, King BA, Delaney LJ, Jones CM, Baldwin GT, Patel A, Meaney-Delman D, Rose D, Krishnasamy V, Barr JR, Thomas J, Pirkle JL; Lung Injury Response Laboratory Working Group. Vitamin E Acetate in Bronchoalveolar-Lavage Fluid Associated with EVALI. N Engl J Med. 2020, PMID: 31860793
- Song MA, Freudenheim JL, Brasky TM, Mathé EA, McElroy JP, Nickerson QA, Reisinger SA, Smiraglia DJ, Weng DY, Ying KL, Wewers MD, Shields PG. Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect in the Lungs of Smokers, Non-Smokers and Electronic Cigarette Users. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020, PMID: 31848205
- Song MA, Reisinger SA, Freudenheim JL, Brasky TM, Mathé EA, McElroy JP, Nickerson QA, Weng DY, Wewers MD, Shields PG. Effects of Electronic Cigarette Constituents on the Human Lung: A Pilot Clinical Trial. Cancer Prev Res. 2020, PMID: 31619441
- Chung S, Kim JY, Song MA, Lee YG, Karpurapu M, Englert JA, Ballinger MN, Pabla N, Chung HY, Park GY, Christman JW. FoxO1 is a critical regulator of M2-like macrophages activation in allergic asthma. Allergy. 2019, PMID: 30288751
- Song MA*, Ernst T, Tiirikainen M, Tost J, Wilkens LR, Chang L, Kolonel LN, Marchand LL, Lim U. Methylation of imprinted IGF2 regions is associated with total, visceral, and hepatic adiposity in postmenopausal women. Epigenetics. 2018, PMID: 30277114 (* corresponding author)
- Song MA, Brasky TM, Weng DY, McElroy JP, Marian C, Higgins MJ, Ambrosone C, Spear SL, Llanos AA, Kallakury BV, Freudenheim JL, Shields PG. Landscape of genome-wide age-related DNA methylation in breast tissue. Oncotarget. 2017, PMID: 29383109 [PMCID: PMC5777721] (Invited Research Paper)
- Song MA, Kwee SA, Tiirikainen M, Hernandez BY, Okimoto G, Tsai NC, Wong LL, Yu H. Comparison of genome-scale DNA methylation profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma by viral status. Epigenetics. 2016, PMID: 27248055, [PMCID: PMC4939927]
- Song MA, Brasky TM, Marian C, Weng DY, Taslim C, Llanos AA, Dumitrescu RG, Liu Z, Mason JB, Spear SL, Kallakury BV, Freudenheim JL, Shields PG. Genetic variation in one-carbon metabolism in relation to genome-wide DNA methylation in breast tissue from healthy women. Carcinogenesis. 2016, PMID: 26961134
- Song MA, Marian C, Brasky TM, Reisinger S, Djordjevic M, Shields PG. Chemical and Toxicological Characteristics of Conventional and Low-TSNA Moist Snuff Tobacco Products. Toxicol Lett. 2016, PMID: 26802282, [PMCID: PMC4910161]
- Song MA, Brasky TM, Marian C, Weng DY, Taslim C, Dumitrescu RG, Llanos AA, Freudenheim JL, Shields PG. Racial differences in genome-wide methylation profiling and gene expression in breast tissues from healthy women. Epigenetics. 2015, PMID: 26680018, [PMCID: PMC4844220]
- Ching T†, Ha J†, Song MA, Tiirikainen M, Molnar J, Berry MJ, Towner D, Garmire LX. Genome-scale hypomethylation in the cord blood DNAs associated with early onset preeclampsia. †Equal contributors. Clin Epigenetics. 2015.PMID: 25806090, [PMCID: PMC4371797]
- Shvetsov YB, Song MA, Cai Q, Tiirikainen M, Xiang YB, Shu XO, Yu H. Intra-individual variation and short-term temporal trend in DNA methylation of human blood. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2015, PMID: 25538225, [PMCID: PMC4355238]
- Ching T, Song MA, Tiirikainen M, Molnar J, Berry M, Towner D, Garmire LX. Genome-wide hypermethylation coupled with promoter hypomethylation in the chorioamniotic membranes of early onset pre-eclampsia. Mol Hum Reprod. 2014, PMID: 24944161, [PMCID: PMC4131767]
- Ling H, Spizzo R, Atlasi Y, Nicoloso M, Shimizu M, Redis RS, Nishida N, Gafà R, Song J, Guo Z, Ivan C, Barbarotto E, De Vries I, Zhang X, Ferracin M, Churchman M, van Galen JF, Beverloo BH, Shariati M, Haderk F, Estecio MR, Garcia-Manero G, Patijn GA, Gotley DC, Bhardwaj V, Shureiqi I, Sen S, Multani AS, Welsh J, Yamamoto K, Taniguchi I, Song MA, Gallinger S, Casey G, Thibodeau SN, Le Marchand L, Tiirikainen M, Mani SA, Zhang W, Davuluri RV, Mimori K, Mori M, Sieuwerts AM, Martens JW, Tomlinson I, Negrini M, Berindan-Neagoe I, Foekens JA, Hamilton SR, Lanza G, Kopetz S, Fodde R, Calin GA. CCAT2, a novel non-coding RNA mapping to 8q24, underlies metastatic progression and chromosomal instability in colon cancer. Genome Res. 2013, PMID: 23796952, [PMCID: PMC3759721]
- Song MA, Tiirikainen M, Kwee SA, Okimoto G, Yu H, Wong LL. Elucidating the Landscape of Aberrant DNA Methylation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. PLoS One. 2013, PMID: 23437062, [PMCID: PMC3577824]
- Kwee S, Song MA, Cheng I, Loo LW, Tiirikainen M. Measurement of Circulating Cell-free DNA in Relation to 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT Imaging in Chemotherapy-Treated Advanced Prostate Cancer. Clin Transl Sci. 2012, PMID: 22376260, [PMCID: PMC3500883]
Letters and Editorials
- Tsai M, Song MA, McAndrew C, Brasky TM, Freudenheim JL, Mathe E, McElroy J, Reisinger SA, Shields PG, Mark DW. Electronic vs. Combustible Cigarette Effects on Inflammasome Release into Human Lung, Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2019, PMID: 30608866 (Peer-reviewed)
- Shields PG, Song MA, Freudenheim JL, Brasky TM, Mathe E, McElroy JP, Hummon AB, Wewers MD. Electronic Cigarettes and the Lung Proteome. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018, PMID: 3015304
- Shields PG, Berman M. Brasky TM, Freudenheim JL, Mathe EA, McElroy J, Song MA, Wewers MD. A Review of Pulmonary Toxicity of Electronic Cigarettes In The Context of Smoking: A Focus On Inflammation. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017, PMID: 28642230 [PMCID: PMC5614602]
- Song MA, Benowitz NL, Berman M, Brasky TM, Cummings KM, Hatsukami D, Marian C, O’Connor R, Rees V, Woroszylo C, Shields PG. Cigarette filter ventilation and its relationship to increasing rates of lung adenocarcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst, 2017, PMID: 28525914 (Peer-reviewed)
Book Chapters
- Freudenheim JL, Shields PG, Song MA, Smiraglia Dominic. DNA Methylation and Smoking: Implications for Understanding Effects of Electronic Cigarettes. Current Epidemiology Reports. 2019
- Lim U and Song MA, DNA Methylation as a Biomarker of Aging in Epidemiologic Studies. Methods Mol Biol. 2018;1856:219-231. PMID: 30178254
- Lim U and Song MA, Dietary and Lifestyle Correlates of DNA Methylation, Methods in Molecular Biology in Cancer Epigenetics, Springer Science (Human Press). Methods Mol Biol. 2012;863:359-76. PMID: 22359306