Guang Yao, PhD

Associate Professor, Molecular & Cellular Biology

Links

Biography

Dr. Yao has a broad background in cancer systems biology, with specific training and expertise in cancer pathway modeling and experimental testing. His Ph.D. training at UW-Madison was in cancer biology with additional emphasis on computational biology. By coupling modeling and experiments, his postdoctoral work at Duke demonstrated the first natural bistable system in mammalian cells, the Rb-E2F bistable switch that controls cell quiescence and proliferation, and help identified oncogenic pathway signatures as a guide to targeted therapies. He focuses his work at studying gene regulation and cell signaling networks by integrating experimental biology with quantitative science, to dissect complex biological systems in cancer.

Cancer Focus

Dr. Yao's research is primarily focused on investigating the gene network "switches" that control cancer cell dormancy and growth. By combining single-cell and -omics measurements with mathematical and machine learning models, he seeks to unravel the intricate and heterogeneous biological systems underlying cancer dormancy, drug resistance, relapse, and metastasis.

Research Program Role

Cancer Biology Program

Display Name
Guang Yao, PhD

Publications

Fujimaki K, Li R, Chen H, Della Croce K, Zhang HH, Xing J, Bai F, Yao G. 2019. Graded regulation of cellular quiescence depth between proliferation and senescence by a lysosomal dimmer switch. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 116:22624–22634. doi:10.1073/pnas.1915905116.

Kwon JS, Everetts NJ, Wang X, Wang W, Della Croce K, Xing J, Yao G. 2017. Controlling Depth of Cellular Quiescence by an Rb-E2F Network Switch. Cell Rep. 20:3223–3235. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2017.09.007.

Dai J, Miller MA, Everetts NJ, Wang X, Li P, Li Y, Xu J-H, Yao G. 2017. Elimination of quiescent slow-cycling cells via reducing quiescence depth by natural compounds purified from Ganoderma lucidum. Oncotarget. 8:13770–13781. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.14634.

Wang X, Fujimaki K, Mitchell GC, Kwon JS, Della Croce K, Langsdorf C, Zhang HH, Yao G. 2017. Exit from quiescence displays a memory of cell growth and division. Nat Commun. 8:321. doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00367-0.

Yao G. 2014. Modelling mammalian cellular quiescence. Interface Focus. 4:20130074. doi:10.1098/rsfs.2013.0074.

Yao G, Lee TJ, Mori S, Nevins JR, You L. 2008. A bistable Rb-E2F switch underlies the restriction point. Nat Cell Biol. 10:476–82. doi:10.1038/ncb1711.