Dr. Wong is particularly interested in understanding how pericellular proteolysis is linked to intracellular signaling in a timely and spatially controlled manner to coordinate the key cellular functions. Our studies were one of the first to point out the importance of proteolysis as a mechanism of altering intracellular signaling when most people regarded proteolysis as destructive only. We found that MT1-MMP, one of the key proteinases involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, is a critical regulator for multiple intracellular signaling pathways in diverse biological processes, including bone development (Developmental cell 2012), vessel formation (Nature Communications 2016), immune cell differentiation (EMBO J 2011) and bodyweight control (Nature Metabolism, in revision).