Voluntary Faculty
Voluntary faculty are typically clinicians or others who are employed outside of the School but make significant contributions to department programs at the medical center or at affiliate institutions.
Voluntary rank detailsRichard Young, MD
Associate Clinical ProfessorAbout
Research
Publications
2026
Active RNA synthesis patterns nuclear condensates
Goychuk A, Banani S, Natarajan P, Zheng M, Wang H, Dall'Agnese G, Young R, Kardar M, Henninger J, Chakraborty A. Active RNA synthesis patterns nuclear condensates. Cell Systems 2026, 101613. PMID: 42190656, PMCID: PMC13293446, DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2026.101613.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNon-equilibrium stateFibrillar centersRNA synthesisCondensation patternsRibosomal RNA processingRibosomal RNA synthesisNucleolar fibrillar centersActivate RNA synthesisTreacle ribosome biogenesis factor 1RNA processingBiomolecular condensatesMembraneless compartmentsBiological functionsCellular biochemistryActive chemical processesCell remainsPhysical theoryBiochemical processesExperimental observationsCondensate formationFactor 1CondensationRNAModel condensationState
2025
Protein codes and mobility together shape cellular function and disease
Kilgore H, Moreno S, Young R. Protein codes and mobility together shape cellular function and disease. Trends In Biochemical Sciences 2025, 51: 8-26. PMID: 41318327, PMCID: PMC12703758, DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.10.009.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsMembrane-bound organellesMembrane-less condensatesMovement of proteinsProtein codingProtein foldingBiochemical functionsCellular functionsProtein propertiesBiochemical activityCellular healthProtein mobilityBiochemical ratesProteinDisease pathologyCondenser compartmentCompartmentNormal functionOrganellesCompartmentalizationFoldingDynamic movementCell signaling meets gene transcription
Young R. Cell signaling meets gene transcription. Science 2025, 390: 568-569. PMID: 41196973, DOI: 10.1126/science.aec1434.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTransient gene melting governs the timing of oligodendrocyte maturation
Allan K, Zhan J, Morton A, Cohn E, Scavuzzo M, Nikhil A, Elitt M, Clayton B, Hu L, Shick H, Vrabic J, Olsen H, Factor D, Henninger J, Bachmann G, Powers B, Young R, Lin C, Scacheri P, Miller T, Tesar P. Transient gene melting governs the timing of oligodendrocyte maturation. Cell 2025, 188: 6205-6219.e23. PMID: 40858115, PMCID: PMC12926747, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.07.039.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCell fate specificationRegulation of oligodendrocyte maturationGene bodiesChromatin decondensationFate specificationTranscription factor Sox6Transcriptional mechanismsOligodendrocyte maturationTranscriptionGene signaturePatient's brainSox6Cellular maturationSOX6 knockdownTherapeutic targetCentral nervous systemCellsProgenitor cellsMaturationDecondensationChromatinImmature oligodendrocytesLociGenesMultiple sclerosisCRISPR-Cas13d functional transcriptomics reveals widespread isoform-selective cancer dependencies on lncRNAs
Morelli E, Aktas-Samur A, Maisano D, Gao C, Favasuli V, Papaioannou D, De Nola G, Henninger J, Liu N, Turi M, Folino P, Vreux L, Cumerlato M, Chen L, Aifantis I, Fulciniti M, Anderson K, Lytton-Jean A, Gulla A, Young R, Samur M, Munshi N. CRISPR-Cas13d functional transcriptomics reveals widespread isoform-selective cancer dependencies on lncRNAs. Blood 2025, 146: 847-860. PMID: 40403231, PMCID: PMC12783513, DOI: 10.1182/blood.2025028746.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCRISPR-Cas13dMultiple myelomaTE-lncRNAsIsoform-specific functionsDiverse cancer cell linesMM patientsCancer cell linesCellular proteostasisSubcellular localizationTumor cellsClinical dataCancer transcriptomeCytosolic isoformEndoplasmic reticulumFunctional transcriptomeHeat shock proteinsCancer dependenciesMM-specificClinical relevanceAnimal modelsLong noncoding RNAsLncRNA transcriptomeTherapeutic potentialCharacterize hundredsTranscriptomeExploring the complexity of MECP2 function in Rett syndrome
Liu Y, Whitfield T, Bell G, Guo R, Flamier A, Young R, Jaenisch R. Exploring the complexity of MECP2 function in Rett syndrome. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2025, 26: 379-398. PMID: 40360671, DOI: 10.1038/s41583-025-00926-1.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsMethylated DNA binding protein MeCP2Neuronal gene regulationReview recent insightsChromatin structureTranscriptional regulationGene regulationInteraction hubProtein MeCP2Cofactor interactionsTranscription factorsEpigenetic regulationRett syndromeProteomic studiesDiverse processesMolecular mechanismsMeCP2 functionTherapeutic designMeCP2Neuronal functionRegulationModel systemNeurodevelopmental disordersRepressorChromatinMechanistic studiesProtein codes promote selective subcellular compartmentalization
Kilgore H, Chinn I, Mikhael P, Mitnikov I, Van Dongen C, Zylberberg G, Afeyan L, Banani S, Wilson-Hawken S, Lee T, Barzilay R, Young R. Protein codes promote selective subcellular compartmentalization. Science 2025, 387: 1095-1101. PMID: 39913643, PMCID: PMC12034300, DOI: 10.1126/science.adq2634.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsProtein sequencesSubcellular compartmentsDiverse subcellular compartmentsProtein language modelsAmino acid sequenceProtein codingAcid sequenceSubcellular localizationDiverse proteinsHuman proteinsSubcellular compartmentalizationFolding codePathological mutationsCompartment localizationProteinSequenceCompartmentMutationsAminoNucleolusCompartmentalizationCells
2024
Proteolethargy is a pathogenic mechanism in chronic disease
Dall'Agnese A, Zheng M, Moreno S, Platt J, Hoang A, Kannan D, Dall'Agnese G, Overholt K, Sagi I, Hannett N, Erb H, Corradin O, Chakraborty A, Lee T, Young R. Proteolethargy is a pathogenic mechanism in chronic disease. Cell 2024, 188: 207-221.e30. PMID: 39610243, PMCID: PMC11724756, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.051.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPathogenic signalsExcessive reactive oxygen speciesMobility phenotypeCellular functionsAffected proteinsPathogenic mechanismsReactive oxygen speciesCysteine residuesSpectra of proteinsProtein mobilityPathogenic stimuliPathogenic featuresOxygen speciesMolecular levelCellular mechanismsDiverse chronic diseasesProteinChronic diseasesAn RNA-centric view of transcription and genome organization
Henninger J, Young R. An RNA-centric view of transcription and genome organization. Molecular Cell 2024, 84: 3627-3643. PMID: 39366351, PMCID: PMC11495847, DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.08.021.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsGene regulationGenome architectureTranscriptional regulationModel of transcriptional regulationAssembly of protein complexesAssembly of transcription complexesLocal genome architectureSilencing of genesGenomic compartmentsGenome organizationGenomic structureRNA polymeraseChromatin regulationTranscription complexActive genesProtein complexesRNA moleculesTranscription factorsGenomeProtein kinaseSpecific genesGenesFeedback regulationRNASpatial compartmentsRNA and condensates: Disease implications and therapeutic opportunities
Han T, Portz B, Young R, Boija A, Klein I. RNA and condensates: Disease implications and therapeutic opportunities. Cell Chemical Biology 2024, 31: 1593-1609. PMID: 39303698, DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.08.009.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsRegulate key cellular processesDiverse RNA speciesRNA speciesTarget RNACompartmentalizing proteinsCellular processesRNA moleculesMembraneless organellesRNA roleBiomolecular condensatesRNA-based therapiesComplex diseasesRNA abnormalitiesRNADisease pathogenesisCondensate formationProperties of condensatesTherapeutic strategiesSmall moleculesOrganellesMislocalizationOverexpressionProteinSpeciesNeurological disorders