Monica Yang

Monica Yang, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) within the School of Medicine. She is a rheumatologist specializing in systemic sclerosis and connective tissue-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), practicing at the UCSF Scleroderma Clinic, where she also manages the Scleroderma Patient Registry and Biorepository.

Education:

• BA, Northwestern University, 2013
• MD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 2017
• Residency, Internal Medicine, Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center, 2020
• Fellowship, Rheumatology, University of California, San Francisco, 2023

Dr. Yang’s research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis and heterogeneity of systemic sclerosis, particularly in patients with ILD. She employs cutting-edge experimental and computational genomic technologies to uncover molecular phenotypes, with a specific interest in telomere dysfunction and aberrant aging as drivers of skin and lung fibrosis. Her recent publications span topics including autoimmune disease mechanisms, vaccine response in immunocompromised patients, fibrotic lung disease, and neuroimmunology, reflecting a multidisciplinary and translational approach.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including:

• Scientist Development Award, Rheumatology Research Foundation (2023–2026)
• Distinguished Fellow Award, American College of Rheumatology (2023)
• Ephraim P. Engleman Award for Excellence in Arthritis Research, UCSF (2024)
• Irene Perstein Award, UCSF School of Medicine (2024)

Dr. Yang has been actively involved in mentoring and medical education, including peer teaching among medical students. She has collaborated extensively with prominent researchers at UCSF, such as Paul Wolters and Marina Sirota, and her work has been widely disseminated, appearing in high-impact journals and receiving significant altmetric attention, including coverage in news outlets and clinical guidelines.