Michael C. Yu

Michael C. Yu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo (College of Arts and Sciences). His research focuses on the biological functions of protein arginine methylation, particularly its roles in pre-mRNA splicing, RNA Pol III transcription, and GPCR signaling. Yu holds a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School.

Education:

• PhD in Biological Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles
• Postdoctoral Research, Harvard Medical School

Research Interests: Protein methylation’s impact on cellular processes, including splicing regulation, tRNA biogenesis, and GPCR signaling. His lab employs cell biology, biochemistry, proteomics, and genomics approaches to study these mechanisms in yeast and mammalian systems.

Key Findings: Established methylation’s role in spliceosome assembly, revealed PRMT1’s regulation of tRNA transcription, and identified arginine methylation’s influence on dopamine receptor function. Recent work explores metabolic reprogramming in leukemia and phosphorylation-dependent mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases.

Grants & Awards: No awards explicitly listed in the provided texts, though his work has been highlighted in Faculty of 1000 and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Teaching: Teaches BIO 319, BIO 332, and BIO 404/504 courses. Office hours include dedicated student consultation slots.

Labs & Collaborations: Collaborates with Denise Ferkey and Stewart Clark on GPCR projects, and uses model systems like C. elegans and budding yeast. His lab investigates methylation’s role in disease contexts such as cancer and Huntington’s disease.