Yingqun Huang, MD, PhD

Dr. Yingqun Huang received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the Fudan University School of Medicine in 1988 and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Connecticut Health Center in 1997. She carried out her postdoctoral studies with Dr. Gordon Carmichael at the University of Connecticut Health Center (1997-1999) and then with Dr. Joan Steitz at Yale University School of Medicine (1999-2003) prior to becoming an Assistant Professor in 2003 in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2010 and then Full Professor in 2020.

Her lab research centers on the mechanistic understanding of metabolic disorders including obesity, diabetes and infertility, in addition to reproductive tract tumors. Using cell and mouse models and an interdisciplinary approach her group generates new insights into disease pathogenesis with the ultimate goal of leveraging the knowledge to improve human health. She has made significant contributions in the field of noncoding RNAs and demonstrated the potential of long noncoding RNA H19 and microRNA let-7 as targets and/or therapeutics for uterine fibroids, ovarian and endometrial cancers, and type-2 diabetes. In the past 5 years, her research has extended to the epigenetic mechanisms of TET3 in metabolic diseases and cancer. Her current research projects include 1) TET3-mediated regulation of hepatic glucose production, NAFLD and liver fibrosis; 2) the role of TET3 in modulation of skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity; 3) the regulation of feeding, obesity, and other complex behaviors by TET3 through the hypothalamic AGRP neurons; and 4) development of therapeutic approaches (small molecule compounds and RNA therapeutics) to eating disorders, stress-related disorders, NAFLD, liver fibrosis, endometriosis, and ovarian cancer. Her contributions to science are highlighted by multiple publications in high impact journals, including Molecular Cell, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nature Communications, EMBO Molecular Medicine, PNAS, Nucleic Acids Research, Cell Reports, Diabetes, and Oncogene.

In addition to research, Dr. Huang is a dedicated teacher and mentor. She has mentored and trained many medical fellows, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students. Two of the medical fellows have become reproductive physician scientists holding Associate Professor positions. Dr. Huang has served as and will continue to be Director of Molecular Biology Core Training Laboratory for the Yale Women’s Reproductive Health Research program (WRHR). In recognition of her deep commitment to teaching and mentoring, she received the Harold Behrman Teaching Award in 2013.