Yuan He

Yuan He is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Structural Biophysics and Chromatin Biology at Johns Hopkins University, holding appointments in the Department of Biophysics and the Department of Biology. He leads research into the molecular mechanisms governing genome processes, including DNA reading, writing, and repair. His work employs advanced techniques like cryo-electron microscopy and structural biology to study large protein-DNA complexes.

He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Northwestern University, followed by postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley under Eva Nogales. Before joining Johns Hopkins in 2024, he established his independent lab at Northwestern in 2015. His research spans structural biology, biophysics, and epigenetics, with a focus on transcriptional regulation and chromatin dynamics.

Key research interests include understanding how cells interact with the genome at structural and mechanistic levels. He has made seminal contributions to mapping the human transcription pre-initiation complex and elucidating DNA repair mechanisms. His work integrates structural biology with genomic approaches to unravel disease-relevant processes, such as cancer immunology and viral entry mechanisms.

Awarded the Burton Medal by the Microscopy Society of America, Dr. He’s research has been featured in high-impact journals. His lab collaborates broadly, leveraging interdisciplinary tools to address fundamental biological questions. Current projects explore tissue-specific gene regulation, CRISPR-based screening, and the role of epigenetic factors in disease pathogenesis.