Guang Yao

Associate Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Associate Professor, Applied BioSciences - GIDP
Associate Professor, Applied Mathematics - GIDP
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology - GIDP
Associate Professor, Genetics - GIDP

What do we do?

We study gene networks that control life and death decisions of cancer cells, and how they differ from normal cells.

What is the goal of our research?

We aim to better understand control mechanisms underlying various cell-fate decisions, and their connections to cancer development and aging, as well as to potential therapeutic strategies.

What is our approach?

We use an integrated approach of high-resolution single-cell experiments and computer modeling. Single-cell experiments can uncover dynamic and heterogeneous behaviors of cancer cells that often get buried in population-average analysis; modeling can help reveal emergent properties of gene networks that are hard to grasp intuitively. As demonstrated in our previous work, the combinatorial approach holds great promise in dissecting complex biological systems like cancer.

Publications

2011

Wong, J. V., G. Yao, J. R. Nevins, and L. You, "Using noisy gene expression mediated by engineered adenovirus to probe signaling dynamics in mammalian cells.", Methods Enzymol, vol. 497, pp. 221-37, 2011. PMID: 21601089

2010

Lee, T. J., G. Yao, D. C. Bennett, J. R. Nevins, and L. You, "Stochastic E2F activation and reconciliation of phenomenological cell-cycle models.", PLoS Biol, vol. 8, issue 9, 2010 Sep 21. PMCID: PMC2943438 PMID: 20877711

2009

Mori, S., J. T. Chang, E. R. Andrechek, N. Matsumura, T. Baba, G. Yao, J. W. Kim, M. Gatza, S. Murphy, and J. R. Nevins, "Anchorage-independent cell growth signature identifies tumors with metastatic potential.", Oncogene, vol. 28, issue 31, pp. 2796-805, 2009 Aug 06. PMCID: PMC3008357 PMID: 19483725

2008

Yao, G., T. Jun Lee, S. Mori, J. R. Nevins, and L. You, "A bistable Rb-E2F switch underlies the restriction point.", Nat Cell Biol, vol. 10, issue 4, pp. 476-82, 2008 Apr. PMID: 18364697
Lee, T., G. Yao, J. Nevins, and L. You, "Sensing and integration of Erk and PI3K signals by Myc.", PLoS Comput Biol, vol. 4, issue 2, pp. e1000013, 2008 Feb 29. PMCID: PMC2265471 PMID: 18463697
Mori, S., R. E. Rempel, J. T. Chang, G. Yao, A. S. Lagoo, A. Potti, A. Bild, and J. R. Nevins, "Utilization of pathway signatures to reveal distinct types of B lymphoma in the Emicro-myc model and human diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.", Cancer Res, vol. 68, issue 20, pp. 8525-34, 2008 Oct 15. PMCID: PMC3617051 PMID: 18922927

2006

Bild, A. H., G. Yao, J. T. Chang, Q. Wang, A. Potti, D. Chasse, M-B. Joshi, D. Harpole, J. M. Lancaster, A. Berchuck, et al., "Oncogenic pathway signatures in human cancers as a guide to targeted therapies.", Nature, vol. 439, issue 7074, pp. 353-7, 2006 Jan 19. PMID: 16273092

2005

Delong, M., G. Yao, Q. Wang, A. Dobra, E. P. Black, J. T. Chang, A. Bild, M. West, J. R. Nevins, and H. Dressman, "DIG--a system for gene annotation and functional discovery.", Bioinformatics, vol. 21, issue 13, pp. 2957-9, 2005 Jul 01. PMID: 15870167

2004

Yao, G., M. Craven, N. Drinkwater, and C. A. Bradfield, "Interaction networks in yeast define and enumerate the signaling steps of the vertebrate aryl hydrocarbon receptor.", PLoS Biol, vol. 2, issue 3, pp. E65, 2004 Mar. PMCID: PMC368161 PMID: 15024417

1999

Chan, W. K., G. Yao, Y. Z. Gu, and C. A. Bradfield, "Cross-talk between the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and hypoxia inducible factor signaling pathways. Demonstration of competition and compensation.", J Biol Chem, vol. 274, issue 17, pp. 12115-23, 1999 Apr 23. PMID: 10207038

Pages

Supervising

Kimiko Della Croce
Qiong Pan