Fan Yang
Key Documents
Contact Information
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 725-7128Alternate Contact Michael Canizares Adminstrative Assistant/Grant Officer Email Tel Work 650-498-7546
Professional Overview
Honors and Awards
- 3M Nontenured Faculty Grant Award, 3M (2012-2015)
- Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Award, March of Dimes Foundation (2012)
- 2011 TR35 Global Honoree, Recognized as one of the world's top innovators under age 35, Technology Review (2011)
- McCormick Faculty Award, Stanford University (2010)
- National Scientist Development Grant Award, American Heart Association (2009-2013)
- Donald E. and Delia B. BaxterFoundation Scholars Award, Baxter Foundation (2010)
Professional Education
| Ph.D.: | Johns Hopkins University, Biomedical Engineering (2006) |
| B.S.: | Shanghai Jiaotong University, Biomedical Engineering (2001) |
Postdoctoral Advisees
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Internet Links
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
Stem cells are attractive cell sources for regenerative medicine due to their unique capacity of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple lineages. Specifically, our research focuses on the following areas:
I. Fundamental: Understand how microenvironmental cues regulate stem cell fate. While the effect of individual type of microenvironmental cues on stem cell behavior has been studied in great depth, little is known about how the complex interplay of multiple types of signals would influence stem cell behavior. We are interested in understanding the effects of interactive signaling on stem cell in 3D and results from such studies would help predict stem cell phenotype in vivo and direct rational design of stem cell niche for tissue engineering applications.
II. Technological: Develop controlled delivery system to direct stem cell differentiation in situ. Advances in gene therapy provide a powerful tool to promote lineage-specific differentiation via directly regulating the intrinsic signals of stem cells. Today, technology is being developed with the potential to either turn on a target gene, through DNA delivery, or turn off a gene by siRNA delivery. However, such therapy has rarely found its way into the clinic due to the lack of safe and efficient delivery systems that can stably regulate stem cells in vivo. Our goal is to develop a controlled release system for sustained delivery of synergistic genetic signals to direct stem cells differentiation in situ.
III. Translational: Stem cells for targeting and delivery of therapeutic factors. Many disease processes are associated with abnormal blood supply, cell death and eventual loss of tissue structure and function. Delivery of therapeutic factors directly to the affected tissues may intervene with the disease progression and start the tissue repair. However, effective targeting and delivery to the disease site remains a great challenge. We are interested in engineering stem cells for targeting and delivery of therapeutic factors to restore normal vascularization and promote tissue regeneration. Findings from such study would have great translational potential that may benefit patients in the future.
Publications
- Non-viral delivery of inductive and suppressive genes to adipose-derived stem cells for osteogenic differentiation. Pharm Res. 2011; (6): 1328-37
- Preparation of mineralized nanofibers: collagen fibrils containing calcium phosphate. Nano Lett. 2011; (3): 1383-8
- Recent progress in cartilage tissue engineering. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2011; (5): 734-40
- Combinatorial extracellular matrices for human embryonic stem cell differentiation in 3D. Biomacromolecules. 2010; (8): 1909-14
- Genetic Engineering of Human Stem Cells for Enhanced Angiogenesis Using Biodegradable Polymeric Nanoparticles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2010; (8): 3317-22
- Gene Delivery to Human Adult and Embryonic cell-derived Stem Cells Using Biodegradable Nanoparticulate Polymeric Vectors Gene Therapy. 2009; (4): 533-546
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