Hai YAN

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Neuro oncology and Metabolism
MD – Peking University Health Science Center, China
PhD – Molecular and Cellular Biology, Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons, USA

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SUMMARY
Hai Yan is a Professor and Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), òòò½Íø, Technology and Research (A*STAR). He is also the Co-founder of Genetron Health, which went public on Nasdaq in 2020, and a senior member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

Prior to IMCB,Ìý Hai held distinguished positions at Duke University School of Medicine, including the Henry S. Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neuro-Oncology, Tenured Full Professor of Pathology, and Co-Director of the Neuro-Oncology Program.ÌýÌý

Hai's groundbreaking research has advanced the understanding of cancer's molecular mechanisms, leading to targeted therapies. He is renowned for discovering IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in gliomas and genetic elements involved in telomere maintenance in cancers. As a co-author of the 2016 revision of the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, he helped establish crucial molecular classification guidelines for tumor diagnosis and treatment.Ìý

Holding multiple U.S. patents, including one for IDH1/2 mutation diagnosis and therapy, Hai's work led to FDA-approved targeted therapies for malignant gliomas.Ìý

Hai’s exceptional teaching and mentoring have earned him The Bernard F. Fetter Teaching Scholar Award at Duke, with many of his mentees becoming faculty at top U.S. medical schools or leaders in industry.


AWARDS & GRANTS
  • 2014 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Team Science Award, Duke University, John Hopkins, and National Cancer Institute (NCI, US)
  • 2021 International Prize for Translational Neuroscience from the Gertrud Reemtsma Foundation and the Max Planck Society in Germany
  • A senior member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI)


RESEARCH

Our research explores the phenotypic complexities of brain tumors and their therapeutic implications. We leverage advanced techniques to investigate genetics, epigenetics, and metabolomics at single-cell and spatial levels, providing insights into tumor cell heterogeneity and interactions with the stromal microenvironment. We delve into metabolic communication between cancer cells and their neighboring cells, including immune cells, neurons, and glia cells, with a focus on the pivotal enzyme IDH.Ìý Additionally, we are developing innovative approaches to enable the brain's immune system to specifically recognize and destroy tumors bearing common driver mutations.


PUBLICATIONS

  • Yan H*., Parsons DW, Jin G, McLendon R, Rasheed BA, Yuan W, Kos I, Batinic-Haberle I, Jones S, Riggins GJ, Friedman H, Friedman A, Reardon D, Herndon J, Kinzler KW, Velculescu VE, Vogelstein B, Bigner DD.
    N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb 19;360(8):765-73. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0808710.PMID: 19228619
    *Corresponding author


  • Reitman ZJ, Jin G, Karoly ED, Spasojevic I, Yang J, Kinzler KW, He Y, Bigner DD, Vogelstein B, Yan H.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Feb 22;108(8):3270-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1019393108. Epub 2011 Feb 2. PMID: 21289278


  • Reitman ZJ, Choi BD, Spasojevic I, Bigner DD, Sampson JH, Yan H.
    Nat Chem Biol. 2012 Nov;8(11):887-9. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.1065. Epub 2012 Sep 23. PMID: 23001033


  • Pirozzi CJ, Yan H.
    Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2021 Oct;18(10):645-661. doi: 10.1038/s41571-021-00521-0. Epub 2021 Jun 15. PMID: 34131315 Review.

  • Killela PJ, Reitman ZJ, Jiao Y, Bettegowda C, Agrawal N, Diaz LA Jr, Friedman AH, Friedman H, Gallia GL, Giovanella BC, Grollman AP, He TC, He Y, Hruban RH, Jallo GI, Mandahl N, Meeker AK, Mertens F, Netto GJ, Rasheed BA, Riggins GJ, Rosenquist TA, Schiffman M, Shih IeM, Theodorescu D, Torbenson MS, Velculescu VE, Wang TL, Wentzensen N, Wood LD, Zhang M, McLendon RE, Bigner DD, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Papadopoulos N, Yan H.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.     2013 Apr 9;110(15):6021-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1303607110. Epub 2013 Mar 25. PMID: 23530248

  • Diplas BH, He X, Brosnan-Cashman JA, Liu H, Chen LH, Wang Z, Moure CJ, Killela PJ, Loriaux DB, Lipp ES, Greer PK, Yang R, Rizzo AJ, Rodriguez FJ, Friedman AH, Friedman HS, Wang S, He Y, McLendon RE, Bigner DD, Jiao Y, Waitkus MS, Meeker AK, Yan H.Ìý
    Nat Commun. 2018 May 25;9(1):2087. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04448-6.PMID: 29802247Ìý