Yongjie Yang

Yongjie Yang, Ph.D., is a Professor of Neuroscience at Tufts University School of Medicine, located at 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA. His research focuses on astroglial signaling in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). He investigates molecular mechanisms of astrocyte maturation, neuron-glia communication via exosomes, and astroglial dysfunction in disease.

Education: Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Iowa State University (2005), M.Sc. from Ocean University of China (Qingdao, China). He completed a Neurology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University (2005–2010).

Research Interests: Astroglial roles in CNS physiology/pathology, exosome-mediated neuron-glia communication, and molecular mechanisms of astroglial dysfunction in neurological disorders. His lab explores astrocyte heterogeneity, disease-related signaling pathways, and therapeutic targets.

Grants: Multiple NIH grants (e.g., Exosomal miRNA in neuron-astroglial communication, Neuronal/Glial exosome signaling in AD, ALS exosome signaling). He also received funding from the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research and the Autism Science Foundation.

Teaching: Teaches courses including Graduate Cell Biology, Journal Club, and Neuroscience seminars at Tufts University. Courses span topics such as neurophysiology, molecular mechanisms, and disease modeling.

Labs/Teams: Leads a research group investigating astrocyte biology, exosome dynamics, and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. Collaborates on projects involving glial-neuronal interactions and translational therapies.