Current Research and Scholarly Interests
The emergence of cardiovascular pluripotent stem cells created a paradigm shift in how we approach cardiovascular diseases. This innovation has required a careful evaluation of the interaction between the recipient tissue and small molecules at a fundamental cellular level. Dr. Yang's laboratory is discovering the cellular and molecular biologics of pluripotent stem cells, employing advanced imaging technology. His research effort characterizes the injured myocardium as a biological niche for small molecule and cellular organelle therapy to discover their novel action of mechanism to cure heart failure.
As a physician-scientist, Dr. Yang's research focuses on the translational effort of novel small molecules and cellular organelles from pluripotent stem cells. His laboratory combines restorative molecular biology with novel imaging technology to advance clinical implementation of extracellular vesicles and their molecular content. High sensitivity and exquisite resolution enable robust evaluation of regional cardiovascular restoration and the underlying mechanism of action. Precision medicine, employing endogenous biologics, will create a paradigm shift. His research will provide a requisite validation of the role of the small molecules and personalized therapy to heal the failing heart. Through this focused programmatic effort, he is pioneering the Cardiovascular Regeneration Program at Stanford.
Dr. Yang is a PI of NIH funded Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network designed to conduct multi-center clinical trial of novel biologics. In addition, he leads 3 NIH and 1 CIRM research grants and 4 clinical trials. He has received several prestigious awards, including NIH Career Development Award, NIH Career Enhancement Award, NIH Midcareer Award, and multiple awards from both AHA and ACC. He is a frequent guest speaker and session chair at national and international meetings.
