Yao Yao, PhD

Dr. Yao Yao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology whose research centers on how extracellular matrix (ECM) components regulate blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity during aging and in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. Supported by multiple NIH grants (two R01s and one RF1), his lab was among the first to define how ECM composition changes with age and disease. Dr. Yao’s work has revealed key roles for laminin isoforms produced by different brain cell types in maintaining BBB function and influencing vascular injury and neurodegeneration. His team is also mapping brain ECM composition using advanced mass spectrometry and investigating how laminin loss affects Alzheimer’s pathology. This research has resulted in 58 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as Nature Communications, Cell Reports, and Molecular Neurodegeneration, and Dr. Yao is a Fellow of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Yao is an active mentor who has trained postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and numerous undergraduates, many of whom have continued into scientific careers, postdoctoral positions, or competitive graduate programs. He is especially committed to guiding students new to research, supporting their development into independent scientists.