Yongcheng Song

Yongcheng Song, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at Baylor College of Medicine. He also serves as a Faculty Senator and Member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on drug discovery targeting cancer and infectious diseases, particularly developing novel small molecule inhibitors for epigenetic proteins, protein-protein interactions in cancers, and viral pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and Flaviviruses.

Education:

• Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2003)
• Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2001)
• PhD, National University of Singapore (2000)

Research Interests:

• Chemical probes for epigenetic proteins (e.g., DOT1L, LSD1, p300/CBP) in MLL-rearranged leukemia
• Inhibitors of protein-protein interactions in transcription complexes (e.g., super elongation complex)
• Antiviral drug discovery targeting SARS-CoV-2, Zika, Dengue, and West Nile viruses

Key Contributions:

Developed novel inhibitors of histone methyltransferases and demethylases, including first-in-class compounds targeting DOT1L and LSD1. Advanced proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology for protein degradation. Identified potent antiviral compounds against Flaviviruses and SARS-CoV-2 proteases, demonstrating in vitro/in vivo efficacy.

Funding:

• NIH/NIAID: $159,323 (PI) for SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitors
• NIH/NCI: $266,057 (PI) for MLL leukemia probes
• DOD/CDMRP: Zika virus protease inhibition

Lab Focus:

Labs focus on chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, integrating compound screening, biochemical studies, and in vivo testing to bridge basic research and clinical translation.