Yi-Lan Weng

Yi-Lan Weng, PhD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Academic Institute
Assistant Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Neuroepigenetics Lab


Phone:
713.363.9017


yweng@houstonmethodist.org
Biography

Yi-Lan Weng earned his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Life Science from National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan) in 1999 and his master’s degree in Biochemistry from National Yang-Ming University (Taiwan) in 2001. He received his PhD in Neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in 2011 where he focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms of axon targeting and regeneration. While at CWRU, he helped to design a specific peptide that blocked protein tyrosine phosphatase-sigma signal transduction, successfully restored serotonergic innervation to the spinal cord in rats, and facilitated functional recovery of both locomotor and urinary systems following spinal cord injury. During his postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Weng developed a serial of innovative next-generation sequencing approaches and experimental methods to elucidate roles of DNA and RNA epigenetics in determining regenerative capacity. His findings have been published in the most prestigious journals, including Nature, Nature Neuroscience, and Neuron. In 2018, Dr. Weng joined the Center for Neuroregeneration at HMRI as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Weng’s research investigates the epitranscriptomic regulation of neuronal function.

Description of Research

I am interested in understanding how the regenerative capacity is governed in the nervous system. In the lab, we use combinatorial approaches including next-generation sequencing, molecular biology and fluorescence imaging to study the epitranscriptomic mechanisms in neural repair and human pathologies at different stages of development. In particular, we are interested in the m6A RNA methylation in regulating RNA trafficking, localization and translation, as well as how dysfunction of these mechanisms could be linked to brain disorders. The long-term goal is to use knowledge obtained from these analyses to guide therapeutic approaches for treatment of injuries, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

Areas Of Expertise

Stroke Regeneration Neurodegenerative disease Spinal cord synaptic transmission axon
Education & Training

PhD, Case Western Reserve University
BS, National Tsing Hua University
MS, National Yang-Ming University
Postdoctoral Associate, John Hopkins
Publications

Random Forest model reveals the interaction between N6-methyladenosine modifications and RNA-binding proteins
Hong, W, Zhao, Y, Weng, YL & Cheng, C 2023, , iScience, vol. 26, no. 3, 106250, pp. 106250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.106250

Epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation of axon regeneration
Cheng, Y, Song, H, Ming, GL & Weng, YL 2023, , Molecular Psychiatry, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 1440-1450. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-023-02028-9

Exploring the brain epitranscriptome: perspectives from the NSAS summit
Lee, SM, Koo, B, Carré, C, Fischer, A, He, C, Kumar, A, Liu, K, Meyer, KD, Ming, GL, Peng, J, Roignant, JY, Storkebaum, E, Sun, S, De Pietri Tonelli, D, Wang, Y, Weng, YL, Pulvirenti, L, Shi, Y, Yoon, KJ & Song, H 2023, , Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 17, 1291446. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1291446

Ablation of BATF Alleviates Transplant Rejection via Abrogating the Effector Differentiation and Memory Responses of CD8+ T Cells
Li, S, Zou, D, Chen, W, Cheng, Y, Britz, GW, Weng, YL & Liu, Z 2022, , Frontiers in immunology, vol. 13, 882721, pp. 882721. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.882721

METTL3 inhibition reduces N6-methyladenosine levels and prevents allogeneic CD4+ T-cell responses
Li, S, Zou, D, Chen, W, Britz, GW, Liu, Z & Weng, YL 2022, , Immunology and Cell Biology, vol. 100, no. 9, pp. 718-730. https://doi.org/10.1111/imcb.12581

A contemporary review of therapeutic and regenerative management of intracerebral hemorrhage
Sadaf, H, Desai, VR, Misra, V, Golanov, E, Hegde, ML, Villapol, S, Karmonik, C, Regnier-Golanov, A, Sayenko, D, Horner, PJ, Krencik, R, Weng, YL, Vahidy, FS & Britz, GW 2021, , Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51443

A contemporary review of therapeutic and regenerative management of intracerebral hemorrhage
Sadaf, H, Desai, VR, Misra, V, Golanov, E, Hegde, ML, Villapol, S, Karmonik, C, Regnier-Golanov, A, Sayenko, D, Horner, PJ, Krencik, R, Weng, YL, Vahidy, FS & Britz, GW 2021, , Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 2211-2221. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51443, https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51443, https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51443

An EGFR signature predicts cell line and patient sensitivity to multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Cheng, C, Zhao, Y, Schaafsma, E, Weng, YL & Amos, C 2020, , International Journal of Cancer, vol. 147, no. 9, pp. 2621-2633. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.33053

Knocking Out Non-muscle Myosin II in Retinal Ganglion Cells Promotes Long-Distance Optic Nerve Regeneration
Wang, XW, Yang, SG, Zhang, C, Hu, MW, Qian, J, Ma, JJ, Zhang, Y, Yang, BB, Weng, YL, Ming, GL, Kosanam, AR, Saijilafu & Zhou, FQ 2020, , Cell Reports, vol. 31, no. 3, 107537, pp. 107537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107537

m6A mRNA Methylation Is Essential for Oligodendrocyte Maturation and CNS Myelination
Xu, H, Dzhashiashvili, Y, Shah, A, Kunjamma, RB, Weng, YL, Elbaz, B, Fei, Q, Jones, JS, Li, YI, Zhuang, X, Ming, GL, He, C & Popko, B 2020, , Neuron, vol. 105, no. 2, pp. 293-309.e5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.12.013

Knocking out non-muscle myosin II in retinal ganglion cells promotes long-distance optic nerve regeneration
Wang, XW, Yang, SG, Zhang, C, Ma, JJ, Zhang, Y, Yang, BB, Weng, YL, Ming, GL, Kosanam, AR, Saijilafu & Zhou, FQ 2019, , Unknown Journal. https://doi.org/10.1101/625707

COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR INHIBITING THE ACTIVITY OF LAR FAMILY PHOSPHATASES
LANG, Bradley, T, Cregg, JM, Silver, J & Weng, Y-L Feb. 27 2019, , Patent No. EP3446699.

m6A facilitates hippocampus-dependent learning and memory through YTHDF1
Shi, H, Zhang, X, Weng, YL, Lu, Z, Liu, Y, Lu, Z, Li, J, Hao, P, Zhang, Y, Zhang, F, Wu, Y, Delgado, JY, Su, Y, Patel, MJ, Cao, X, Shen, B, Huang, X, Ming, GL, Zhuang, X, Song, H, He, C & Zhou, T 2018, , Nature, vol. 563, no. 7730, pp. 249-253. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0666-1

Epitranscriptomic m6A Regulation of Axon Regeneration in the Adult Mammalian Nervous System
Weng, Y-L, Wang, X, An, R, Cassin, J, Vissers, C, Liu, Y, Liu, Y, Xu, T, Wang, X, Wong, SZH, Joseph, J, Dore, LC, Dong, Q, Zheng, W, Jin, P, Wu, H, Shen, B, Zhuang, X, He, C, Liu, K, Song, H & Ming, G-L 2018, , Neuron, vol. 97, no. 2, pp. 313-325.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.12.036

An Intrinsic Epigenetic Barrier for Functional Axon Regeneration
Weng, Y-L, An, R, Cassin, J, Joseph, J, Mi, R, Wang, C, Zhong, C, Jin, S-G, Pfeifer, GP, Bellacosa, A, Dong, X, Hoke, A, He, Z, Song, H & Ming, G-L 2017, , Neuron, vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 337-346.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.03.034

Epigenetic regulation of axonal regenerative capacity
Weng, YL, Joseph, J, An, R, Song, H & Ming, GL 2016, , Epigenomics, vol. 8, no. 10, pp. 1429-1442. https://doi.org/10.2217/epi-2016-0058

Modulation of the proteoglycan receptor PTPs promotes recovery after spinal cord injury
Lang, BT, Cregg, JM, Depaul, MA, Tran, AP, Xu, K, Dyck, SM, Madalena, KM, Brown, BP, Weng, YL, Li, S, Karimi-Abdolrezaee, S, Busch, SA, Shen, Y & Silver, J 2015, , Nature, vol. 518, no. 7539, pp. 404-408. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13974

Tet3 regulates synaptic transmission and homeostatic plasticity via DNA oxidation and repair
Yu, H, Su, Y, Shin, J, Zhong, C, Guo, JU, Weng, YL, Gao, F, Geschwind, DH, Coppola, G, Ming, GL & Song, H 2015, , Nature Neuroscience, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 836-843. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4008

DNA Modifications and Neurological Disorders
Weng, YL, An, R, Shin, J, Song, H & Ming, GL 2013, , Neurotherapeutics, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 556-567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-013-0223-4

The cytoplasmic adaptor protein caskin mediates Lar signal transduction during Drosophila motor axon guidance
Weng, YL, Liu, N, DiAntonio, A & Broihier, HT 2011, , Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 31, no. 12, pp. 4421-4433. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5230-10.2011