Hao YangDirector of translational medicine, Center of Honghui hospital at Xian Jiao Tong University, China
Biography
Dr. Yang graduated with Ph. D from the Department of Neurobiology at the Fourth Military Medical University, China, in 2007. From 2010 to 2011, Dr. Yang was a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Li at Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, where he focus on the study of Huntingtin-Associated Protein 1 as an essential molecule for postnatal neurogenesis and growth in mice. In 2012, he, as associate professor, joined clinical stem cell research center of Renji hospital at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Currently, he is the director of translational medicine center of Honghui hospital at Xi?an Jiao Tong University. Dr. Yang?s research is now focused on three main fields: (1) the use of transdifferentiation of stem cells into neural cells for clinical therapies for CNS injury a variety of neurodegenerative diseases; (2) Astrocyte reprogramming into neurons for spinal cord injury and (3) the combination of biomaterials and cells for neural repair therapies.
Research Interest
Dr. Yangs research interests focused on differentiation of stem cells into neural cells and its application in clinical therapies for CNS injury and a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, especially spinal cord injury and Alzheimier?s disease. During his PhD studies, he investigated the potential of astrocyte de-differentiation into neural stem cells and the underlying mechanisms of the de-differentiation. In his postdoctoral training, he explored the function of Huntingtin-Associated Protein 1(Hap1). He found that Hap1 is essential for the postnatal neurogenesis and growth of mice hypothalamus. His research findings were submitted to Neuron. His main project focuses on the spermatogonial stem cells transdifferentiation into neural cells and its application in Parkinson?s disease. Another project will continue to study what molecules provoke astrocyte de-differentiation.