Yanfei Yang

Background

About Yanfei Yang

I am an experienced and collaborative Associate Director with 10+ years in pharmaceutical drug research and development, specializing in gene editing, gene therapy, liver targeting, and cardiovascular diseases. My expertise spans both rare and common diseases, allowing me to contribute valuable insights and leadership to diverse projects within the field. Known for adeptly managing multifaceted projects in fast-paced environments, I've led teams in conducting in vitro and in vivo proof-of-concept studies in rodents and NHP. My adaptable skills enable me to thrive in diverse tasks and situations, collaborating seamlessly with cross-functional teams to drive IND/CTA-enabling studies to success. In addition to my leadership capabilities, I am proficient in a wide array of techniques in cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, biomarker analysis, and in vivo studies. My comprehensive skill set ensures thorough and effective execution of every translational project. Core Competencies-Project Leadership and People Management: Leading multidisciplinary teams from target assessment to hypothesis generation and testing, emphasizing empowerment through effective delegation and fostering a culture of communication and collaboration-Drug Research and Development: Excelling in critical thinking and problem-solving, with expertise spanning development of impactful technology platforms, drug discovery, target identification, development candidate identification, and IND/CTA-enabling studies across various therapeutic targets and diseases, including neuromuscular diseases, neuronal pain, MASH NASH, dyslipidemia, amyloidosis, hypertension, heart failure, and cardiovascular metabolic disorders-Cellular and Molecular Biology: Proficient in a wide range of techniques such as DNA, RNA and protein analysis, alongside cloning and recombinant proteins, ChIP, FACS, ELISA, miRNA, RNAi, shRNA, LNA, CRISPR, adenovirus, lentivirus, AAV, LNP, confocal microscopy, histology, ISH, and cell line and hepatocyte culture-Cardiovascular Research and In Vivo Studies: Isolation and culture MSC, cardiac stem cells, and iPSC-derived and primary cardiomyocytes. Proficient in contractility, calcium transient, Seahorse mitochondrial analysis, and various bioanalytical and biochemical assays related to cell metabolism, growth, and death. Creating and maintaining mouse lines, genotyping, drug preparation and dosing, surgery, echocardiography. Establishing rodent disease models (e.g, MI, cardiac hypertrophy, DMD, NASH, dyslipidemia, hypertension) both in-house and at CROs.