Gregory Yochum

Dr. Gregory Yochum is an Associate Professor at Penn State University, holding dual appointments in the Department of Molecular and Precision Medicine and the Department of Surgery at Penn State College of Medicine. He is affiliated with the Penn State Cancer Institute as a Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis researcher.

• PhD in Molecular Biology (University of Utah, 1996-2002)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship at Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research (2002-2009)

Dr. Yochum's research focuses on Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in intestinal biology, with applications to colorectal cancer (CRC), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and epithelial barrier function. His lab investigates how TCF/ß-catenin complexes regulate gene expression through chromatin architecture and long-range DNA looping, particularly in MYC proto-oncogene dysregulation. A second research pillar examines the RNA-binding protein tristetraprolin (TTP) and its role in intestinal mRNA degradation and disease pathogenesis (UC, CRC).

Recent publications reveal expertise in multi-omics analysis for PSC development in pediatric IBD, metabolic reprogramming in CRC metastasis, and microbiome interactions in diverticulitis. Collaborations with Dr. Walter Koltun's surgical team leverage a biobank of 4,500 intestinal disease patients, integrating genetics, environmental factors, and microbiome studies.

Current funded projects include:

• National Cancer Institute: Wnt/beta-catenin in early-onset CRC (2023-2024)
• National Cancer Institute: TCF7L1 role in CRC (2020-2022)
• National Cancer Institute: Nuclear AXIN2 in CRC (2019-2021)
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: c-Myc transcription in intestinal carcinogenesis (2008-2014)

His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals through biomedical research and education.