This #TraineeTuesday, meet Hongyan Hao, a Postdoctoral Associate in the De Camilli and Hammarlund labs! Hongyan is a recipient of the 2024 Kavli Postdoctoral Fellowship.
As a second-year postdoc, when the research is still in progress, preparing and receiving this fellowship really had an impact on my professional development. Putting together the research proposal with my two mentors has been an important learning experience, and the fellowship will support my project and learning of cutting-edge knowledge and techniques at more conferences. Importantly, receiving this fellowship has brought me to the Kavli community where I can get more opportunities to network with people in different fields of neuroscience research.
Hongyan uses both C. elegans genetics and mammalian cell biology tools to study Bridge-like lipid transport proteins, an evolutionary conserved protein family, and its role in lipid transport. Her research focuses on VPS13D, an essential protein whose gene mutations are linked to movement disorders. The depletion of VPS13D leads to enlarged mitochondria, an organelle responsible for energy production in cells.
Hongyan investigates how the lipid transfer function of VPS13D regulates mitochondrial morphology. She has discovered that VPS13D’s function on mitochondria is conserved in C. elegans. Using genetic tools, she aims to further explore the function and regulation of VPS13D, providing valuable insights into VPS13D-associated diseases.
A cell is a highly organized structure, where precise lipid distribution is essential for its function. Most membrane lipids are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum, the cell’s transport network, and must be efficiently delivered to subcellular membranes to support cellular processes.
Bridge-like lipid transport proteins, recently identified as key mediators of bulk lipid transport between membranes, play a crucial role in this process. However, their exact mechanism and regulatory pathways remain largely unknown. Mutation in these lipid transporters can lead to severe, detrimental diseases, highlighting the importance of understanding their function.
To address this, genetic tools help identify the components involved in lipid transport, while cell biology techniques help reveal the specific role of these proteins within cellular processes. By integrating both approaches, researchers can understand these processes on a broader level.
Combining cell biology and C. elegans genetic tools can be a way to study the fundamental functions of the lipid transport proteins across species. It is also important to test the discovery in the cultured cells in a living animal under physiological conditions, and C. elegans is a great tool for that.
Hongyan is a first-generation college student from China who has been captivated by the beauty of nature and curious about the science behind natural phenomena since childhood. She studied biology at Lanzhou University before pursuing a master’s degree. Driven by her passion for research, she then moved to the United States to earn her PhD at the University of California, Davis.
During her doctoral studies, she investigated nuclear positioning in C. elegans, gaining a deep appreciation for the cell’s highly organized systems and the critical role of organelle positioning. Through this work, she realized that studying neuronal cell biology not only satisfies her curiosity in basic science but also provides valuable insights into the development and treatment of neurological diseases.
For Hongyan, the De Camilli lab at Yale is the perfect place to pursue her research goals. Additionally, the Hammarlund lab is an expert in C. elegans neuronal cell biology and employs genetic screening to uncover novel players in cellular processes. Hongyan feels fortunate to have the opportunity to work in both labs, allowing her to integrate genetic tools and cell biology techniques to study the VPS13 family proteins.
I still feel like I am a beginner, but I have learned so much in both labs, doing a C. elegans genetic screen for the first time, for example. I was able to perform a genetic suppressor screen in the Hammarlund lab from designing the screen to mapping the mutations with the help of many people. […] I feel very well supported by many people.
Hongyan sees herself as just at the beginning of her journey, but she has already uncovered more intriguing questions. Looking ahead, she aspires to lead her own research lab, dedicating her career to exploring fundamental scientific questions. She is deeply grateful for the guidance and support of her mentors in her scientific journey and hopes to pay it forward by mentoring and supporting the next generation of scientists.
Best of luck, Hongyan!