Ya-Ming Hou

Ya-Ming Hou is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the College of Life Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. His research centers on tRNA functions and protein synthesis mechanisms with direct implications for neurological disorders.

His primary research focuses on:

• tRNA structure-function dynamics during genetic decoding
• Role of tRNA modifications (e.g., m1G37) in maintaining decoding specificity
• Mechanisms of tRNA 3' end maturation and quality control
• Translocation kinetics in ribosome function
• Links between protein synthesis dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases

Dr. Hou leads an active research laboratory investigating how perturbations in tRNA biology contribute to neurological conditions including fragile X syndrome, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and spinal muscular atrophy, with emphasis on neuronal protein synthesis in axon guidance and synaptic plasticity.