About

John Ellis is a Professor of Music at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he serves as the director of Graduate Studies in Piano Pedagogy and administers the Piano Pedagogy Laboratory Program. He is recognized nationally and internationally as a master class clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer on piano pedagogy, with his travels taking him to institutions such as the University of South Florida, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, and Hawaii. Ellis regularly speaks on pedagogy topics to teachers’ groups across Michigan and the United States, and in 2024, he received the Harold Haugh Award for excellence in studio teaching from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Computer Science
• Medicine
• Business
• Radiology
• Optics
• Optometry
• Ophthalmology

Selected publications

• CRISPR Base Editing Correction of <i>TGFBI</i> Mutations in Autosomal Dominant Corneal Dystrophies

  Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science · 2026-02-27

  articleOpen access

  Purpose: Lattice and granular corneal dystrophy comprise two common TGFBI-associated autosomal dominant corneal disorders. Existing therapies are only temporizing and carry significant morbidity. Here, we develop a novel therapeutic approach using an adenine base editor (ABE) to correct common TGFBI mutations. Method: We generated two human corneal epithelial (HCE) cell models harboring a copy of the most common disease-causing TGBFI mutations, R124C or R555W. These lines were electroporated with an ABE8e-NG-encoding mRNA and guide RNAs targeting the mutations. The resulting A•T-to-G•C editing efficiencies and off-target (OT) effects were assessed by amplicon sequencing. GFP-expressing adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) with different capsid types were transduced into HCE cells and healthy human corneal donor tissues, and GFP fluorescence was evaluated. Results: Using all-RNA delivery for ABE8e-NG, we achieved 91% and 62% correction of the pathogenic adenines in HCE TGFBIR124C/WT and TGFBIR555W/WT cells, without editing the wild-type allele. Indel formation was negligible (<0.2%), bystander adenine editing was minimal (<0.7%), and editing at top computationally predicted OT sites was modest (<1.2% at all but 1 of the 20 OT sites analyzed), suggesting minimal safety concerns. Correction of TGFBIR124C/WT in HCEs rescued the aberrant lysosomal localization of TGFBI. We further identified AAV1 as the most effective serotype for gene delivery into both human corneal donor tissue and HCE cells. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the feasibility and safety of CRISPR adenine base editing as a new therapeutic strategy for correcting common TGFBI mutations in corneal dystrophies, paving the way for further preclinical testing.

  PublisherDOI

• Mean creatinine decrease after administration of intravenous contrast in patients with renal dysfunction: implications for assessment of post-contrast nephrotoxicity

  Acta Radiologica · 2025-03-20 · 1 citations

  reviewSenior author

  BackgroundContrast nephropathy risk is traditionally assessed by the proportion of patients whose post-contrast serum creatinine (SCr) increases exceed certain thresholds. However, this method can be misleading because of random threshold selections, overlooking post-contrast creatinine decreases, and discarding continuous renal function data. The main impact of contrast on renal function can be revealed by analyzing the mean changes in SCr and evaluating their significance.PurposeTo analyze published data permitting calculation of mean SCr changes after intravenous contrast.Material and MethodsWe identified publications including patients with pre-existing renal dysfunction who received modern contrast agents, specified contrast type and dose, and means and standard deviations of SCr measurements before and after contrast.ResultsIn 14 articles, including 2057 patients, mean SCr pre-contrast was 148.6 µmol/L (1.68 mg/dL); decreasing significantly to 144.1 µmol/L (1.63 mg/dL) after contrast. Significant diminutions occurred at post-contrast intervals of 4, 7, and 10 days, and in patients who received hydration therapy. Of the patients, 6.6% met the specific thresholds for contrast nephropathy as defined by individual studies.ConclusionThe slight significant improvement in SCr after iodinated contrast suggests that some prior estimates of the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) have been erroneously high and corroborates the current view that the risk of clinically important AKI after contrast is unlikely in patients with moderate renal failure. Threshold-based investigations of nephropathy may be misleading. Mean post-contrast SCr decline should be considered for clinical decisions regarding contrast administration. Future studies on the renal effects of contrast should analyze means, variation, and significance of post-contrast SCr changes.

  PublisherDOI

• Materials and Platforms for the Optical Detection of Rare Earth Elements

  2025-03-04

  articleOpen access

  Poster describing sensing materials and platforms for detection economically critical metals from unconventional sources such as acid mine drainage.

  PublisherDOI

• Development of Luminescent Materials and Instrumentation for Critical Mineral Discovery and Monitoring

  2025-03-27

  reportOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• An Update on Surgical Treatments of Keratoconus

  Advances in Ophthalmology and Optometry · 2025-05-15

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Luminescent Materials for the Detection of Economically Critical Metals in Harsh Environments

  2024-11-20

  articleOpen access

  Renewable energy technologies used for electric vehicles and wind turbines are heavily reliant upon metals, such as rare earth elements, cobalt, lithium, and nickel. Indeed, there are 50 minerals that are currently considered “economically critical” by the 2022 United States Geological Survey. With anticipated global adoption of renewable energy technologies, producing sufficient metals to meet this demand presents a significant challenge, particularly due to the current monopolistic market for many of these metals. The production of metals from unconventional sources, such as coal utilization byproducts, is one of many promising strategies to boost domestic supply. However, sensitive, rapid, and inexpensive characterization technologies are needed to minimize production costs associated with metals prospecting and processing. Photoluminescence-based sensing techniques are particularly intriguing due to their potential for low cost and portability, coupled with high sensitivity and selectivity. This presentation focuses on the development of high-performance sensing materials for a range of critical metals, including metal-organic frameworks capable of sensitizing detection of parts-per-billion concentrations of six different rare earth elements, nanoparticles that can detect down to 600 parts-per-billion levels of cobalt, and thin films that sense aluminum down to 120 parts-per-billion. These materials are highly selective, capable of withstanding low pH conditions, and provide a response within minutes. Importantly, each sensing material is integrated with a custom-built, fully portable fiber-optic spectrometer for potential field deployment, providing significant cost savings over commercial instruments, along with potential advantages such as material regeneration for use across multiple sensing cycles and solvent removal for enhanced emission signal. These results highlight the exciting potential of luminescence platforms as cost-effective alternatives for metals characterization.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Gold nanoshells for prostate cancer treatment: evidence for deposition in abdominal organs

  Abdominal Radiology · 2024-02-20 · 4 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Promoting Microaffirmations Within a Social Work Undergraduate Program: Promises and Challenges

  Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research · 2024-10-10

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Combining children's savings account programs with scholarship programs: Effects on math and reading scores

  Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · 2023-03-14

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Survey of Practicing Radiologists on the Use of Premedication Before Intravenous Iodinated Contrast Medium Administration

  Journal of the American College of Radiology · 2023-07-27 · 9 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Richard H. Cohan

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  142 shared

• Matthew S. Davenport

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  70 shared

• Elaine M. Caoili

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  57 shared

• John R. Bies

  Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

  49 shared

• Isaac R. Francis

  University of Toronto

  37 shared

• Kenyon K. Kopecky

  Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

  34 shared

• Jonathan R. Dillman

  32 shared

• John P. Donohue

  University of California, Santa Cruz

  26 shared

Awards & honors

• 2024 Harold Haugh Award for excellence in studio teaching