Dr. Yao Yao, PhD

Dr. Yao received his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from Stony Brook University, NY in 2011, and completed his postdoc training at the Rockefeller University in 2015. Dr. Yao obtained a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota in 2015 and moved to the University of Georgia in 2017. Dr. Yao was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Georgia and joined USF MCOM as an Associate Professor with tenure in 2021.

The Yao Lab studies the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and various neurological disorders (e.g. Stroke and Alzheimer's disease) with a focus on laminin, a major component of the basal lamina. The Yao Lab aims to answer the following two questions:

(1) How laminin regulates BBB integrity under both physiological and pathological conditions?

(2) How laminin affects the pathogenesis of stroke (both hemorrhagic and ischemic) and Alzheimer's disease?

Using a series of conditional knockout, knock-in, and reporter mouse lines for laminin and its receptors, the Yao Lab is investigating the function of laminin in the CNS and developing innovative therapies for stroke, Alzheimer disease, and other neurological disorders. The Yao's Lab is well-funded and actively recruits passionate researchers from around the globe.