X.William Yang

Neurobehavioral Genetics Research Center, Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, United States of America

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA.
M.S. & B.S.,summa cum laude, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, 1991, Yale University; Ph.D. in Molecular Neuroscience, 1998, Rockefeller University (in laboratory of Nathaniel Heintz); M.D., 2000, Weill Medical College of Cornell University; Medicine Intern, 2001, New York-Presbyterian Hospital; Hereditary Disease Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, 2001-2002, in laboratory of Nathaniel Heintz at Rockefeller University.

Research Interests:
· Mouse models to study pathogenesis and treatment of Huntington’s disease (HD): We have used Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC)-mediated transgenic technology and the conventional gene targeting technology to develop a series of conditional mouse models for HD. Our current research is focused on the following areas: Pathological cell-cell interactions in HD; Genetic suppression of HD in mice; Full length mutant Huntingtin toxicities in vivo.
· Developing novel genetic models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in mice: We are applying BAC transgenic technology to develop novel genetic models of PD in mice. Such models may help to unravel molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying PD.
· Development and function of the striatal medium spiny neurons: We are interested in identifying and analyzing novel genes that are involved in development and function of the stiratal medium spiny neurons. These neurons are critically involved in pathogenesis of HD and PD as well as several other neuropsychiatric disorders including drug addiction and schizophrenia.

Any competing interests declared are displayed with individual evaluations.

Faculty Member: Neurological Disorders > Neurogenetics (since 15 November 2005)

Links

http://yanglab.npih.ucla.edu

All recent recommendations

• 3.0
  Parkin deficiency increases vulnerability to inflammation-related nigral degeneration.
  Recommended by X.William Yang with Xiao-Hong Lu
  
• 6.0
  Towards a transgenic model of Huntington's disease in a non-human primate.
  Recommended by X.William Yang with Xiaofeng Gu
  
• 6.0
  Lewy bodies in grafted neurons in subjects with Parkinson's disease suggest host-to-graft disease propagation.
  Recommended by X.William Yang with Tara Murphy
  
• 6.0
  Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1 regulates integration of newly generated neurons in the adult brain.
  Recommended by X.William Yang
  
• 9.6
  Cortico-striatal synaptic defects and OCD-like behaviours in Sapap3-mutant mice.
  Recommended by X.William Yang, Daniel Geschwind
  
• 6.0
  Behavioral phenotypes of Disc1 missense mutations in mice.
  Recommended by X.William Yang
  
• 3.0
  Essential function of HIPK2 in TGFbeta-dependent survival of midbrain dopamine neurons.
  Recommended by X.William Yang
  
• 3.0
  Bergmann glia expression of polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-7 produces neurodegeneration by impairing glutamate transport.
  Recommended by X.William Yang
  
• 6.0
  Mutations in voltage-gated potassium channel KCNC3 cause degenerative and developmental central nervous system phenotypes.
  Recommended by X.William Yang
  
• 6.4
  Selective elimination of glutamatergic synapses on striatopallidal neurons in Parkinson disease models.
  Recommended by X.William Yang, Rivka Inzelberg