Dr. Da Yang is a pharmacological and bioinformatic researcher with extensive experience in multiple areas of computational biology and pharmacology. Dr. Yang’s group are capable of using bioinformatics and experimental tools study the drug resistance and drug metabolism and disposition.
Instances of his success include: (1) developed algorithms to precisely infer the gene regulatory network in disease; (2) designed and implemented a novel strategy to identify driving genes in immunotherapy and chemotherapy response; (3) integrative identification of novel biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, chemotherapy response. Dr. Yang’s publications have been cited more than 18000 times (google.scholar) since 2017. His group are publishing on top-ranked journals, such as Cancer Cell, Science Advances, Nature Communications, Theranostics, and Briefs in Bioinformatics. Notably, one of paper is awarded as one of the best 10 papers published by Cancer Cell in 2018.
In research funding, Dr. Yang is the Principal Investigator of three five-year NIH R01 grant. Dr. Yang has also completed multiple merit-based foundation grants. Dr. Yang has established important connections and engaged in collaborative work with numerous scientists and other individuals both inside and outside the University. In 2024, Dr. Da Yang is appointed as one of the standing members of NIH Cancer Genetics Study Section. Dr. Yang is also serving as the standing member of ACS RMC study section. Because of his achievement in research, Dr. Yang has received the Research Scholar Award (2018) by the American Cancer Society and Team Science Award (2020) by American Association of Cancer Research.
Drug the undruggable: mechanistic studies of resistance to cancer chemotherapy using integrated genomics.
Reveal the dark matter in cancer: identification of genetic and epigenetic defects in ncRNAs and the subsequent disruption of their downstream effects
Seminars
“Integrated Analysis of Ovarian Cancer”, Advances in Oncology Institutional Grand Rounds, 9/28/12, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
“LncRNAs as master regulator for cancer progression and chemotherapy response”, 5/2/2019, the 5th Great Lakes Breast Cancer Symposium, Columbus, OH
“Integrative Analyses Identify LncRNAs as Master Regulators for Cancer Immune Evasion and Drug Response”, 7/24/2019, The Institute of Immuno-oncology, Columbus, OH
“Epigenetic Modulation to Improve the Response to Immunotherapy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer”, July 20, 2020, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Breast Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) meeting,
“Unleash the Power of Multi-omics to Characterize the Pharmacogenomic Landscape of Disease”. 8/26/2020, Tulane University. 6823 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA
“Targeting Highly Tumor-specific Long Non-coding RNAs for Cancer Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Therapy”. 6/22/2022, NextRNA Therapeutics, 40 Guest St, Boston, MA 02135
“Genomic Intelligence Unleashed: Navigating Therapeutic Landscapes in Cancer”, 1/26/2024, Department of Biostatistics & Health Data Science, School of Medicine, University of Indiana.
“The Genomic Medicine Era: Transforming Cancer Care with Personalized Solutions”, 3/16/2024, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, New York.
“Bridging Genomic Landscapes to Translational Pharmacogenomics in Disease”, 5/23/2024, Center for Discovery & Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110
2012 Best Publication Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2012 The Diane Denson Tobola Fellowship in Ovarian Cancer Research, Houston, TX
2012 The Harold C. and Mary L. Daily Endowment Fund Fellowship, Houston, TX
2013 The Diane Denson Tobola Fellowship in Ovarian Cancer Research, Houston, TX
2013 Bristol-Myers Squibb Award in Clinical/Translational Research, Houston, TX
2014 Outstanding Research Publication Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
2015 New Investigator Award, RPCI-UPCI Ovarian Cancer SPORE, Pittsburgh, PA
2018 Research Scholar Award, the American Cancer Society
2018 Cancer Cell 2018 Best Paper Award
2020 AACR Team Science Award (TCGA program RNA-team leader)
2020 Hillman Fellow for Innovative Developmental Cancer Research"
Wang Y*, Pattarayan D*, Huang H*, Zhao Y, Li S, Wang Y, Zhang M, Li S, Yang D#. Systematic investigation of chemo-immunotherapy synergism to shift anti-PD-1 resistance in cancer. Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 12;15(1):3178.
2. Yifei Wang* , Yueshan Zhao* , Weiwei Guo* , Ghanshyam Singh Yadav , Chetana Bhaskarla, et. al., Binfeng Lu , Udai S Kammula, Min Zhang# , Da Yang#. Genome-wide gain-of-function screening characterized lncRNA regulators for tumor immune response, Sci Adv. 2022 Dec 9;8(49):eadd0005.
3. Guo, W., Wang, Y., Yang, M., Wang, Z., Wang, Y., Chaurasia, S., Wu, Z., Zhang, M., Yadav, G., Rathod, S., et al., Yang D#. LincRNA-immunity landscape analysis identifies EPIC1 as a regulator of tumor immune evasion by inhibiting IFN-γ-JAK-STAT1 signaling and antigen presentation. Sci Adv. 2021 Feb 10;7(7):eabb3555. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb3555. Print 2021 Feb.
4. Wang Y, Wang Z, Xu J, Li J, Li S, Zhang M#, Yang D#. Systematic Identification of Non-coding Pharmacogenomic Landscape in Cancer, Nat Commun, 2018 Aug 9;9(1):3192. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05495-9.
5. Wang Z, Yang B, Zhang M, Guo W, Wu Z, Jia L, Wang Y, Li S, Xie W, Yang D#. LncRNA epigenetic landscape analysis identifies EPIC1 as an oncogenic lncRNA that interacts with MYC and promotes cell cycle progression in cancer, Cancer Cell. 2018 Apr 9;33(4):706-720.e9. PMID: 29622465
6. Gu Y, Wang R, Han Y, Zhou W, Zhao Z, Chen T, Zhang Y, Peng F, Liang H, Qi L, Zhao W, Yang D#, Guo Z#, A landscape of synthetic viable interactions in cancer, Brief Bioinform. 2017 Jan 17. pii: bbw142. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbw142. PMID: 28096076
7. Zhang M, Liu G, Xue F, Edwards R, Sood A, Zhang, W, Yang D#, Copy number deletion of RAD50 as a predictive marker of BRCAness and PARP inhibitor response in BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer, Gynecol Oncol.2016 Apr;141(1):57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2016.01.004.
8. Yang D*, Khan S*, Sun Y, Hess K, Shmulevich I, Sood AK, Zhang W. Association of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations with survival, chemotherapy sensitivity, and gene mutator phenotype in patients with ovarian cancer. JAMA. 2011 Oct 12;306(14):1557-65. PubMed PMID: 21990299; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4159096.
9. Yang D*, Sun Y*, Hu L*, Zheng H, Ji P, Pecot CV, Zhao Y, Reynolds S, Cheng H, Rupaimoole R, Cogdell D, Nykter M, Broaddus R, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Lopez-Berestein G, Liu J, Shmulevich I, Sood AK, Chen K, Zhang W. Integrated analyses identify a master microRNA regulatory network for the mesenchymal subtype in serous ovarian cancer. Cancer Cell. 2013 Feb 11;23(2):186-99. PubMed PMID: 23410973; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3603369.
10. Song F*, Yang D*, Liu B*, Guo Y, Zheng H, Li L, Wang T, Yu J, Zhao Y, Niu R, Liang H, Winkler H, Zhang W, Hao X, Chen K. Integrated microRNA network analyses identify a poor-prognosis subtype of gastric cancer characterized by the miR-200 family. Clin Cancer Res. 2014 Feb 15;20(4):878-89. PubMed PMID: 24352645.
11. Chen K*, Yang D*, Li X*, Sun B, Song F, Cao W, Brat DJ, Gao Z, Li H, Liang H, Zhao Y, Zheng H, Li M, Buckner J, Patterson SD, Ye X, Reinhard C, Bhathena A, Joshi D, Mischel PS, Croce CM, Wang YM, Raghavakaimal S, Li H, Lu X, Pan Y, Chang H, Ba S, Luo L, Cavenee WK, Zhang W, Hao X. Mutational landscape of gastric adenocarcinoma in Chinese: implications for prognosis and therapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jan 27;112(4):1107-12. PubMed PMID: 25583476; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4313862.
ACTIVE:
NIH/NCI/R01CA282704 Yang (PI) 09/01/2023 – 08/31/2028
Title: Enhancer RNAs Boost MYC-Chromatin Interaction to Regulate Gene Expression and Tumorigenesis
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $ 2,059,171
Major Goals: The goal of this project is to test our hypothesis that (1) MYC is an RNA-binding protein and (2) eRNA-mediated MYC-chromatin binding is important for MYC’s transcriptional regulation and oncogenic function. Successful completion of our project will add a new dimension and novel tools to investigate MYC regulation of gene expression. Our project will also lay the foundation to develop novel strategy to target MYC in cancer.
Role: PI
NIH/NCI/ R01CA272866 Yang (PI) 08/01/2023 – 07/312028
Title: LncRNA EPIC1 Induces Immunotherapy Resistance by Activating EZH2 in Breast Cancer
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $ 1,904,449
Goals: The goal of this project is to provide key preclinical data and biomarkers for the combination of two FDA-approved cancer drugs (i.e., tazemetostat and anti-PD1 therapies) for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Specifically, we hypothesize that in TNBC patients, the overexpression of a lncRNA, EPIC1, is a master regulator of immunotherapy resistance by activating EZH2. We have designed mechanistic and translational experiments to test (1) whether EPIC1 induces immunotherapy resistance by activating EZH2 inTNBC and (2) whether EZH2 inhibitor treatment can enhance responses to PD-1 antagonists for EPIC1-EZH2-
activated TNBC tumors.
Role: PI
NIH/NCI/1R01CA255196 Yang (PI) 12/01/2020-11/30/2025
Title: A novel lncRNA-responsive and xenobiotic receptor-mediated regulation of drug metabolism and disposition
Total Award Amount (including Indirect Costs): $ 1,847,121
Goals: To mechanistically investigate lncRNAs that regulate drug metabolism and disposition
Role: PI
COMPLETED:
NIH/NCI/1R01CA222274-01 Yang (PI) 08/01/18-07/30/23
Title: The oncogenic role of EPIC1-MYC axis in breast cancer
Goals: To mechanistically investigate the role of EPIC1-MYC axis in breast cancer tumorigenesis
Role: PI
American Cancer Society/RSG-18-179-01 Yang (PI) 01/01/19 - 12/31/23
Title: The regulation of cell cycle by long non-coding RNA in breast cancer
Goals: To test the hypothesis that we recently identified epigenetically activated lncRNAs (EA lncRNAs) can specifically recruit transcriptional/epigenetic regulators to target genes and therefore regulates cell cycle progression in breast cancer. To test this hypothesis, we will use the State-of-the-Art epigenome editing and mass spectrum technologies to comprehensively characterize the roles and mechanisms of these EA lncRNAs in cell cycle regulation and breast cancer tumorigenesis.
Role: PI
Shear Family Foundation Yang (PI) 07/01/17 -12/31/24
Title: Tailor the treatment for each breast cancer patient based on genomic profile
Goals: To develop breast cancer pharmacogenomics database and learn precision medicine algorithm that can predict the treatment response for each breast cancer patient based on genomic profile.
Role: PI
NIH/1R21HD095049-01A1 Yang, Lei (PI) 02/01/19-1/31/21
Title: Identification of Novel Human LncRNAs Controlling Human Cardiogenesis
Goals: To identified species-specific lncRNAs, which could regulate human-specific cardiogenesis. Specific Aim 1 will identify novel human lncRNAs regulating cardiovascular progenitor cell differentiation from human iPSCs. Specific Aim 2 will identify novel human lncRNAs regulating lineage commitment of cardiovascular progenitor cells. Outcome of this proposal will identify a list of novel human lncRNAs, which play essential roles at early stages of human cardiovascular development. Discovery of such novel human lncRNAs will uncover a new layer of regulatory mechanism underlying human-specific heart development.
Role: co-I
NIH/NCI/P50CA159981 (CDP) Yang (PI) 07/01/15-06/30/17
Title: Novel strategy for simultaneously targeting EMT and HR pathways in ovarian cancer
Total Direct Costs: $100,000
Goals: To identify the novel miRNA network and master miRNA regulators that simultaneously target EMT and HR pathways in ovarian cancer.
Role: PI
Elsa U. Pardee Foundation/0046154 Yang (PI) 01/01/15-12/31/15
Title: miR-506 as a novel therapy of OvCa targeting metastasis and drug resistance
Total direct cost: $118,000
Goals: To determine miR-506’s regulatory roles ovarian cancer metastasis and drug resistance
Role: PI
