Research

Education
M.D. Medicine, Shantou University Medical School, China
M.S. Neuroscience, Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences, China
Ph.D. (Neuroscience), The Australian National University, Australia

Postdoctoral Training
Research Officer, University of Western Australia
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto
Research Associate, University of Toronto

Awards and Honors
1997 Co-recipient of the Second Prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award, Ministry of Education, China
1997 Co-recipient of the Third Prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award, Ministry of Education, China
1992-1995 Australian National University Ph.D. Scholarships

Research Interests
Aging, Alzheimer’s disease, lysosomal storage disorders, neuronal autophagic-lysosomal system, protein aggregation and degradation, autophagy-related impairments in lipid metabolism, neuronal cell death.
Dr. Yang’s primary research interest is to elucidate the neuropathogenesis of AD at the molecular, cellular and system levels using human AD brains and cellular and mouse models of AD and to explore novel therapeutic targets for AD. The research is currently focused on two integrated directions: 1) identification of impairments in the autophagic-lysosomal pathway in relation to abnormal degradation and accumulation/storage of proteins and lipids in models of AD; 2) translational research focusing on manipulating the autophagic-lysosomal system in AD models as a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.

Dr. Yang received his undergraduate degree in Medicine and Surgery from Shantou University Medical School and his M.S. in Neuroscience from Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences in China, and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Australian National University. Prior to NKI, Dr. Yang was a Research Fellow at the Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences, China and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at both the University of Western Australia’s Hollywood Hospital, and the University of Toronto’s Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases. While at the University of Toronto’s Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, he was appointed as a Research Associate. Dr. Yang has been with NKI since 2001.

Dr. Yang was a co-recipient of two research awards from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, China, and has received two Ph.D. Scholarships from the Australian National University and an Investigator Initiated Research Grant from the Alzheimer’s Association. He has served as a reviewer for a number of international journals including Journal of Neuroscience, Brain, Aging Cell, Journal of Neurochemistry, Neurobiology of Aging, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and PLoS ONE, and as an Ad Hoc reviewer for grant applications to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Publications
All publications