Xianjie Yang

Dr. Xian-Jie Yang is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine. Holding the Ernest G. Herman Chair (2012) and a 2022 Undergraduate Mentor Award, Yang's research focuses on molecular mechanisms governing retinal development, degeneration, and regeneration.

• Education:
  • BS in Biology, Peking Normal University (1981)
  • PhD in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University (1988)
  • Postdoc in Developmental Biology, Harvard University (1989)
  • Postdoc in Molecular Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School (1995)

Yang's lab investigates retinal metabolism during development and disease, utilizing genetically engineered mice, viral vector gene delivery, and 3D retinal organoid cultures from human pluripotent stem cells. Current work funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) aims to develop gene therapies for dominant optic atrophy.

Recent publications highlight trends in neuroprotection mechanisms, stem cell applications, and transcriptional regulation in retinal biology. Yang's team has pioneered methods for enhancing retinal ganglion cell production and creating iPSC-based disease models.

• Key Awards:
  • Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship (1988-1991)
  • NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship (1992)
  • Foundation Fighting Blindness Career Award (1996)
  • Dolly Green Special Scholar Award (2003)
  • Ernest G. Herman Chair (2012)
  • Undergraduate Mentor Award (2022)

Yang's work bridges molecular neuroscience and regenerative medicine, with NIH and CIRM funding supporting studies on signaling pathways affecting retinal neuron survival and gene editing approaches for inherited eye diseases.