Dong Yan

Dong Yan is an Associate Professor at Duke University, affiliated with the Duke School of Medicine, Duke Regeneration Center, and Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms in neural circuit formation, neurodegeneration, and gap junction dynamics using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism.

• Education: Ph.D., Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences (2006)

Research interests include investigating conserved molecular pathways in C. elegans that govern neuronal development, synaptic maintenance, and aging-related neurodegeneration. His work bridges developmental neurobiology and aging research, emphasizing protein signaling and cellular interactions.

Article trends highlight mechanisms in neuron-glia communication during aging, synaptic signaling, genetic regulation of neural connectivity, and evolutionarily conserved pathways like DLK-1 and UNC-44/ankyrin. His publications span journals such as Nature Neuroscience, Science Advances, and Cell Reports.

Grants include the Neurobiology Training Program (2024-2029), Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Training Grant (2001-2027), and Genetic study of gap junction formation (2018-2024). He teaches courses like MGM 593: Research Independent Study and CMB 710F: Cell & Molecular Biology Module VI.