Yingwei Mao

Yingwei Mao is a Professor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University, affiliated with the Department of Biology and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses, with an emphasis on neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation. He holds a B.S. from Nankai University (1996), an M.S. from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (2002), and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (2005). Postdoctoral training was conducted at Harvard Medical School and MIT.

Dr. Mao’s research interests include the role of neural progenitor subtypes in cortical development, genetic models of psychiatric disorders, Wnt signaling pathways, and the development of therapeutic inhibitors targeting GSK3. His lab utilizes interdisciplinary techniques, including animal models, stem cell research, and transcriptomics, to explore these areas. Key findings link neural progenitor abnormalities to psychiatric disorders and identify potential drug targets.

His awards include the Scientist Development Award (AHA, 2013) and Young Investigator Awards (NARSAD, 2013 and 2007). The Mao Lab’s long-term goal is to develop novel therapies for mental illnesses through insights gained from neurogenesis research. Recent work emphasizes the role of RBM8A in neurodevelopment and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the application of AI in glioma diagnosis.