Qiaoan Yang

My earlier work at Imperial College London sparked my interest in neurogenetics and disease modeling, as I helped establish a protocol to induce primary human astrocyte reactivity via iPSC-derived microglia, contributing to a multi-omic study of pathological astrocyte states. I then expanded my expertise in stem cell modeling during my thesis project, which focused on using patient-derived iPSC-hepatocytes to study alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a rare genetic disease. Later on, I pursued a MPhil at the University of Cambridge, aiming to reveal novel genetic interactions with autophagy deficiency, a key hallmark of neurodegeneration. Building on these experiences, I have joined Dr. Becky Carlyle’s lab to investigate the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) resilience. By integrating multi-omics datasets with iPSC-derived neuron models, I aim to uncover protective mechanisms that enable certain individuals to resist cognitive decline despite AD pathology. This research will contribute to a broader understanding of resilience in neurodegeneration and provide insights for the development of future therapeutic strategies.