Yalan Zhang

Yalan Zhang is a Senior Research Scientist in Pharmacology at Yale University, affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine. They hold a PhD from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (1999). Their research focuses on ion channel physiology, particularly Slack potassium channels, and their roles in neurological diseases such as ALS and epilepsy. Collaborations include work with Leonard Kaczmarek, Akiko Iwasaki, and others, exploring channel mutations, neurophysiological mechanisms, and therapeutic interventions like antisense oligonucleotides.

Key research interests include neuronal excitability, channelopathies, working memory circuits in prefrontal cortex neurons, and molecular profiling of disease models. Their work bridges basic neuroscience with translational pharmacology, addressing mechanisms underlying neurological disorders.

Publications span topics like Slack channel mutations' effects on neuron excitability, interactions between HCN and Slack channels in cognitive functions, and methodological critiques in neurogenetic studies. No awards are explicitly listed, but their research has implications for drug development targeting ion channel dysfunctions.