Andrew S. Yoo, PhD

Andrew S. Yoo, PhD

Professor of Developmental Biology

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Research interests

The overall goal of my lab is to investigate how aging in human neurons contributes to the late onset of neurodegeneration in various neurodegenerative disorders. We approach this goal by developing cellular reprogramming approaches by evoking the chromatin switch using microRNAs (miRNAs) as neurogenic effectors that can turn human adult fibroblasts directly to neurons. This process termed direct neuronal reprogramming offers a critical benefit of propagating the age signature stored in pre-reprogrammed cells to directly converted neurons, thereby mimicking neurons of adult individuals. We use interdisciplinary approaches (molecular genetics, genomics, and biochemistry) to meet our research goals in two broad areas:

  1. Modeling adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases using patient-derived neurons and delineating pathogenic mechanisms associated with neuron-intrinsic, age-associated vulnerability to neurodegeneration
  2. Identify molecular mechanisms underlying the neurogenic activity of microRNAs via inducing the reconfiguration of chromatin landscape

Education and Training

2011 – Postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University, CA, Chromatin biology and cell fate reprogramming

2005 – Ph.D. Columbia University, NY, Cellular, Molecular and Biophysical Studies

1998 – M.Sc. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Experimental Medicine (Neurology)

1995 – B.Sc. McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada, Physiology (with focus on Neurophysiology)

Academic Positions

07/2022 – present – Professor, Department Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine

08/2018 – 06/2022 – Associate Professor, Department Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine

August 2011 – 2018 – Assistant Professor, Department Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine

Honors and Awards

WUSM Distinguished Investigator Award, 2018

Presidential Early Career Award for Scientist and Engineers (PECASE), 2013

NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, 2012-2017

Ellison Medical Foundation New Investigator in Aging Award, 2012-2016

Mallinckrodt Foundation New Investigator Award, 2011-2013

Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship, 2007-2010

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postgraduate Award (for tenure at universities outside Canada), 2001-2003

Honors in Neurophysiology, McGill University, 1995

Selected publications

Research Articles:

See a complete list of Dr. Yoo’s publications »