Dr. Yingming Zhao earned his Ph.D. degree from Rockefeller University in 1997, studying under Professor Brian Chait. From 1998 to 2008, he held positions as an Assistant and Associate Professor at both Mount Sinai School of Medicine and UT Southwestern Medical Center. He currently holds the Louis Block Professorship in the Ben May Department for Cancer Research at the University of Chicago. Dr. Zhao’s research is primarily dedicated to developing and applying mass spectrometry-based proteomics technologies, alongside various chemical and biological tools, to identify and investigate previously undescribed cellular pathways. Currently, he concentrates on those pathways related to protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) and epigenetic mechanisms. In the past 15 years, his team discovered 13 types of new lysine acylation pathways that are intimately connected to cellular metabolism. They also identified about 1,000 new histone marks, more than doubling the number of the previously known histone marks discovered during the first forty years of chromatin biology. His works revealed numerous enzymes that can add or remove the new PTM pathways, and identified specific binding proteins (or “readers’) for the novel histone marks. They also identified a new class of enzymes that can catalyze the synthesis of short-chain lipid CoAs which serve as co-factors for lysine acylations. His laboratory’s findings demonstrate the crucial roles of these newly discovered PTM pathways in epigenetic regulation and cellular pathophysiological changes. They have shown that these pathways contribute to various inborn metabolic diseases, affect the cellular microenvironment, including conditions like hypoxia, and play significant roles in the functions of immunological cells. He has co-authored 187 peer-reviewed papers. He is a co-founder and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of three biotechnology companies.
“Proteomics: From Genes to Functions” brought together top researchers in the field to explore the latest breakthroughs in proteomics. The event covered cutting-edge advancements, including multi-omics integration, new applications, and the latest developments in understanding post-translational modifications.
Website: innovations.stanford.edu/proteomics/
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