Steven Tang

Steven Tang joined Yale’s Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry in 2023. Steven is a fellow of Jonathan Edwards College, a member of the Wu Tsai Institute, a member of Center for Systems & Engineering Immunology, and a member of Program in Physics, Engineering, and Biology.

Steven brings a research program on decoding and rewiring the cell-surface interactomes of cell–cell fusion and signaling. His programs combine structural biology, protein engineering, immunology, and cell biology. Before coming to Yale, Steven was a Merck Fellow of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation at Stanford University. His postdoctoral work has pioneered strategies for small molecules targeting “undruggable” protein-protein interactions in cancer immunotherapy, and developed a safe, effective, low-cost, and room-temperature stable nanoparticle SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Supported by an NIH K99/R00 award, Steven’s research has focused on cell-surface recognition and sperm–egg membrane fusion in mammalian fertilization. His current program expands on this work to interrogate the long-standing mysteries in cell-cell membrane fusion. The long-term goal of his lab is to establish the design principles of cell-cell fusion and to inform therapeutic strategies for regenerative medicine, and infectious diseases. Steven completed his Ph.D from Cornell University, studying the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation, assembly, and membrane remodeling of the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport complex ESCRT-III in multivesicular endosome biogenesis. Steven received his B.S. at Peking University, China.