Chun Zhang Yang
Neuro-Oncology Branch
The Center for Cancer Research
United States of America
Biography
Dr. Chun Zhang Yang received his Philosophy Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree in neurobiology with a focus on glial cell biology and glutamate metabolism from Peking University (PKU) in 2009. In 2010, Dr. Yang joined the Surgical Neurology Branch (SNB) at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the NIH. He has been active in a diverse set of research fields including tumor genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry. Dr. Yang was the first to identify HIF2A mutations in human cancers, which act as key genetic events in tumor formation. In addition, he has led many breakthroughs in understanding the molecular basis of human cancers in the nervous system. The goal of Dr. Yang’s research is to understand the unique genetic and metabolic aspects of different types of brain tumors, such as glioblastoma, meningioma, and hemangioblastoma, and uncover unique small molecular antagonists as possible chemotherapeutic agents for brain tumors.
Research Interest
Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics and Genomics, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Stem Cell Biology
Publications
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Chemosensitivity of IDH1 mutant gliomas due to an impairment in PARP1-mediated DNA repair.. Lu Y, Kwintkiewicz J, Liu Y, Tech K, Frady LN, Su YT, Bautista W, Moon SI, MacDonald J, Edwend MG, Gilbert MR, *Yang C, Wu J. (*Corresponding author) Cancer Research. 77(7): 1709-1718, 2017.
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Proteostasis modulators prolong missense VHL protein activity and halt tumor progression. Yang C, Huntoon K, Ksendzovsky A, Zhuang Z, Lonser RR Cell Rep. 3(1): 52-59, 2013
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β-Catenin signaling initiates the activation of astrocytes and its dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of astrocytomas. Yang C, Iyer RR, Yu AC, Yong RL, Park DM, Weil RJ, Ikejiri B, Brady RO, Lonser RR, Zhuang Z Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109(18): 6963-6968, 2012
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Somatic HIF2A gain-of-function mutations in paraganglioma with polycythemia. Zhuang Z, *Yang C, Lorenzo F, Merino M, Fojo T, Kebebew E, Popovic V, Stratakis CA, Prchal JT, Pacak K (*Co-first author) N Engl J Med. 367(10): 922-930, 2012
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Missense mutations in the NF2 gene result in the quantitative loss of merlin protein and minimally affect protein intrinsic function. Yang C, Asthagiri AR, Iyer RR, Lu J, Xu DS, Ksendzovsky A, Brady RO, Zhuang Z, Lonser RR Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 108(12): 4980-4985, 2011
