Biography
Dr. Xia Yang received her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Bioinformatics from Georgia State University and had postdoctoral training in Systems Genetics at UCLA. She was Senior Research Scientist at Rosetta Inpharmatics/Merck & Co. and Director of Systems Biology at Sage Bionetworks prior to returning to UCLA as a faculty member.
Research Interests
Our research focuses on developing and applying multitissue multiomics systems biology approaches to dissect the molecular networks underlying diverse complex diseases, ranging from cardiometabolic diseases to neurodegenerative and neurological disorders, and utilize the systems level networks to guide precision medicine. Through integration of genetic, transcriptional, epigenomic, proteomic, gut microbiota, and phenotypic data from human and rodent populations, we investigate how complex interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors perturb tissue- and cell-specific gene networks which in turn induce variations in disease susceptibility. Subsequently, we use the causal molecular networks of diseases as the basis for therapeutic target identification and biomarker discovery.
Education
B.S., Pharmacy, Shandong University 1993
Ph.D., Molecular Genetics/Bioinformatics, Georgia State University 2003
Selected Publications
Yang X. “Multi-tissue Multi-omics Systems Biology to Dissect Complex Diseases”. Trends in Molecular Medicine, 2020.
Liu W, Venugopal S, Majid S, Ahn IS, Diamante G, Hong J, Yang X*, Chandler SH*. “Single-cell RNA-seq Analysis of the Brainstem of Mutant SOD1 mice Reveals Perturbed Cell Types and Pathways of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis”. Neurobiology of Disease, 141: 104877, 2020.
Rajbhandari P+, Arneson D+, Feng AC, Ahn IS, Diamante G, Zaghari N, Thomas BJ, Vergnes L, Lee SD, Reue K, Smale ST, Yang X, Tontonoz P. “Single Cell Analysis Reveals Immune Cell-Adipocyte Crosstalk Regulating the Transcription of Thermogenic Adipocytes”. eLife 8:e49501, 2019.
Zhang G, Byun HR, Ying Z, Blencowe M, Zhao Y, Hong J, Shu L, Gomez-Pinilla F, Yang X. “Differential Metabolic and Multi-tissue Transcriptomic Responses to Fructose Consumption among Genetically Diverse Mice”. BBA – Molecular Basis of Disease. 1866: 165569, 2020.
Shu L, Meng Q, Tsai B, Diamante G, Chen Y, Mikhail A, Luk H, Ritz B, Allard P, Yang X, “Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure in Mice Induces Multi-tissue Multi-omics Disruptions Linking to Cardiometabolic Disorders”, Endocrinology, 160 : 409-429, 2019.
Arneson D, Zhuang Y, Byun HR, Ahn IS, Ying Z, Zhang G, Gomez-Pinilla F, Yang X, “Single Cell Molecular Alterations Reveal Pathogenesis and Targets of Concussive Brain Injury”, Nature Communications, 9 : 3894, 2018.
Emilsson V, llkov M, Lamb JR, Finkel N, Gudmundsson EF, Pitts R, Hoover H, Jennings LL, Horman SR, Aspelund T, Shu L, Trifonov V, Gudmundsdottir V, Sigurdsson S, Manolescu A, Zhu J, Lesley SA, To J, Zhang J, Harris TB, Launer LJ, Zhang B, Eiriksdottir G, Yang X, Smith AV, Orth AP, Gudnason V, “Coregulatory Networks of Human Serum Proteins Link Genetics to Disease”, Science, 361 : 769-773, 2018.
Kurt Z, Barrere-Cain R, LaGuardia J, Mehrabian JM, Pan C, Hui ST, Norheim F, Zhou Z, Hasin Y, Lusis AJ, Yang X, “Tissue-specific Pathways and Networks Underlying Sexual Dimorphism in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease”, Biology of Sex Differences, 9 : 46- (2018) .
Krishnan KC, Kurt Z, Barrere-Cain R, Sabir S, Das A, Floyd R, Vergnes L, Zhao Y, Che N, Charugundla S, Qi H, Zhou Z, Meng Y, Pan C, Seldin MM, Norheim F, Hui S, Reue K, Lusis, AJ, Yang X., “Integration of Multi-omics Data from Mouse Diversity Panel Highlights Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease”, Cell Systems, 6 : 1-13, 2018.
Shu L, Chen KHK, Zhang G, Huan T, Kurt Z, Zhao Y, Codoni V, Tregouet DA, Yang J, Wilson JG, Luo X, Levy D, Lusis AJ, Liu S, Yang X, “Shared Genetic Regulatory Networks for Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes in Multi-ethnic Populations”, PLOS Genetics, 13 (9): e1007040, 2017.
Biography
Jeff Bronstein received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and M.D. and Ph.D. from UCLA as a recipient of the Medical Scientist Training Program Award. He completed a residency in Neurology and fellowship training in Movement Disorders at UCLA. Dr. Bronstein also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology before being appointed an Assistant Professor of Neurology. He was later appointed Director of the Movement Disorders Program at UCLA. His interests and expertise include the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other movement disorders, surgical treatment of PD, and developing new therapies for patients. Dr. Bronstein was recently awarded one of 6 National Parkinson’s Disease Centers at the Veterans Administration Medical Center with the goal of furthering research, education and clinical care in the Southwest US. His laboratory studies the cause of PD using cell models and a newly developed zebrafish model. His work supported by the NIH and private foundations. Dr. Bronstein also directs clinical trials in order to develop new therapies for PD that include transplantation and deep brain stimulation. He has received several awards and is widely published in the field.
Publications
A selected list of publications:
Hsiao Elaine Y Gastrointestinal issues in autism spectrum disorder Harvard review of psychiatry, 2015; 22(2): 104-11.
Yano Jessica M, Yu Kristie, Donaldson Gregory P, Shastri Gauri G, Ann Phoebe, Ma Liang, Nagler Cathryn R, Ismagilov Rustem F, Mazmanian Sarkis K, Hsiao Elaine Y Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis Cell, 2015; 161(2): 264-76.
Hsiao Elaine Y, McBride Sara W, Hsien Sophia, Sharon Gil, Hyde Embriette R, McCue Tyler, Codelli Julian A, Chow Janet, Reisman Sarah E, Petrosino Joseph F, Patterson Paul H, Mazmanian Sarkis K Microbiota modulate behavioral and physiological abnormalities associated with neurodevelopmental disorders Cell, 2013; 155(7): 1451-63.
Hsiao Elaine Y Immune dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder International review of neurobiology, 2013; 113(7): 269-302.
Garay Paula A, Hsiao Elaine Y, Patterson Paul H, McAllister A K Maternal immune activation causes age- and region-specific changes in brain cytokines in offspring throughout development Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2013; 31(7): 54-68.
Hsiao Elaine Y, Patterson Paul H Placental regulation of maternal-fetal interactions and brain development Developmental neurobiology, 2012; 72(10): 1317-26.
Hsiao Elaine Y, McBride Sara W, Chow Janet, Mazmanian Sarkis K, Patterson Paul H Modeling an autism risk factor in mice leads to permanent immune dysregulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2012; 109(31): 12776-81.
Malkova Natalia V, Yu Collin Z, Hsiao Elaine Y, Moore Marlyn J, Patterson Paul H Maternal immune activation yields offspring displaying mouse versions of the three core symptoms of autism Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2012; 26(4): 607-16.
Hsiao Elaine Y, Patterson Paul H Activation of the maternal immune system induces endocrine changes in the placenta via IL-6 Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2011; 25(4): 604-15.
Ito Hiroshi T, Smith Stephen E P, Hsiao Elaine, Patterson Paul H Maternal immune activation alters nonspatial information processing in the hippocampus of the adult offspring Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2010; 24(6): 930-41.