Ying WangView profile
Assistant Professor
Dr. Ying Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine. She serves as Director of the Bruce McManus Cardiovascular Biobank and has affiliations with the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation and St. Paul's Hospital. As an early career investigator from the PlaqOmics Leducq Foundation Trans-Atlantic Network, Dr. Wang leads a multidisciplinary research team focused on cardiovascular disease mechanisms and therapeutic development. Dr. Wang's educational background includes: PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of British Columbia Post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Vascular Surgery at Stanford University Post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia Her research focuses on studying cell-cell and cell-microenvironment interactions to determine why diseased cells accumulate in atherosclerotic lesions and how we can remove them. The lab combines vascular biology and spatial biology to answer clinically relevant questions about cardiovascular disease, with a central theme of 'Functional omics on a tissue slide.' Current research programs include targeting efferocytosis, mapping therapeutic targets for drug repurposing, and developing new biobanking methods. Analysis of Dr. Wang's recent publications reveals a strong progression from fundamental mechanisms toward therapeutic applications. Her work increasingly utilizes advanced spatial biology techniques to characterize human atherosclerotic lesions at the single-cell level within tissue context. The research demonstrates a clear trajectory toward clinical translation, particularly in efferocytosis enhancement and drug repurposing for cardiovascular disease. Dr. Wang has received notable recognition including: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada New Investigator award Michael Smith Health Research BC Scholar award Dr. Wang actively mentors a diverse team of researchers, currently supervising PhD candidate Maria Elishaev (recipient of prestigious CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship and UBC Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship), postdoctoral fellow Yuancheng Mao, and multiple Master's students. Her lab collaborates with pathologists, data scientists, and physician scientists for bench-to-bedside research. Current major projects include 'Targeting efferocytosis to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events' (CIHR 2022-2027), 'Spatial characterization of human atherosclerotic disease for therapeutic and biomarker development' (CFI-JELF 2022-2027), and 'Solve the puzzle of vulnerable plaque' (New Frontiers in Research Fund 2022-2024). The Wang Lab maintains a unique platform for translational research featuring PhenoCycler multiplex imaging, Visium CytAssist spatial gene expression, Halo imaging analysis, and access to the Bruce McManus Cardiovascular Biobank. The lab motto is 'Can Do,' reflecting their collaborative and solution-oriented approach to cardiovascular research.
