More About Gene

Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA is a Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California San Diego, Director for UCSD’s Center for RNA Technologies and Therapeutics, Chief Scientific Advisor for Sanford Laboratories for Innovative Medicine and Director for the Sanford Stem Cell Institute’s Innovation Center. Dr. Yeo is a computational and experimental scientist who studies how RNA processing is regulated by RNA binding proteins in development and disease. Gene has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous academic awards, including the Paul Allen Distinguished Investigatorship (2020), the RNA Society’s Elisa Izaurralde Award for Innovation in Research, Teaching and Service (2021) and the inaugural Academia Europaea Sydney Brenner Medal (2023). Gene has founded several biotech companies and serves as scientific advisor to many, including EclipseBio, Orbital Therapeutics, Insitro, Automera, AmberBio and Atomic.AI. Gene is among the top 50 life science academic entrepreneurs by BIOS’ Beaker List and received the inaugural Entrepreneurial Achievement Award from the Rady School of Management in 2023.

These multidisciplinary methods combine machine learning, biochemistry, molecular biology, genomics, chemistry and materials research.

His lab develops methods that are systematic, robust and adoptable, such as enhanced CLIP for the purposes of large-scale mapping of protein-RNA interactions (Van Nostrand et al, Nature Methods, 2016). Gene’s lab is a major contributor of resources to study RBPs that enable hundreds of labs across many areas of bioscience, such as the world’s largest resource of RBP-specific antibodies that facilitated generation and interpretation of the most comprehensive maps of RBP-binding sites to date for hundreds of RBPs (Van Nostrand et al, Nature, 2020). They have also systematically uncovered RBPs that condense into RNA granules during stress and demonstrated strategies to leverage these for therapeutic use in neurodegeneration (Markmiller et al, Cell, 2018; Fang et al, Neuron, 2019; Wheeler et al, Nature Methods, 2020). His lab also demonstrated in vivo RNA targeting with CRISPR/Cas proteins (Nelles et al, Cell, 2016) with proof of concept in repeat expansion disorders (Batra et al, Cell, 2017; Batra et al, Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2020). Recently his lab has developed the STAMP technology (Brannan et al, Nature Methods, 2021) which is the first transcriptome-wide method for identify RNA binding protein sites and translation measurements at single-cell resolution. Work from the Yeo lab has been highlighted in Nature Methods and Nature Reviews Genetics as “Method to Watch” and featured as a top story in Discover magazine.

These efforts have led to clinical programs to develop medicines for RNA- related diseases.

Dr. Yeo has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications including invited book chapters and review articles in the areas of neurodegeneration, RNA processing, computational biology and stem cell models; and served as Editor on two books on the biology of RNA binding proteins. Gene is on the Editorial Boards of the journals Cell Reports, Cell Research and eLife, and on the Advisory Board of Review commons. Gene joined UCSD as an Assistant Professor in 2008, was promoted with tenure to Associate Professor in 2014 and to Professor in 2016. Gene was the first Crick-Jacobs Fellow at the Salk Institute (2005-2008). Other awards include the Alfred P Sloan Fellowship in recognition of his work in computational molecular biology (2011), Alpha Chi Sigma-Zeta Chapter Krug Lecturer (2016), Singapore National Research Foundation Visiting Investigatorship Award (2017), the inaugural Early Career Award from the International RNA Society (2017), the Blavatnik National Award Finalist (2018 & 2019), San Diego Xconomy Awardee for ‘Big Idea’ (2019) and Highly Cited Researcher in Cross-Field category (2019, 2020, 2021), recognizing the world’s most influential researchers of the past decade. Gene is also a Paul Allen Distinguished Investigator (2020) and received the 2021 Elisa Izaurralde Award for Innovation in Research, Teaching and Service from the RNA Society.

Gene is a co-founder of biotech companies which includes Locanabio, Eclipse Bioinnovations, Enzerna, Proteona, Trotana, RNAC Therapeutics and CircBio. Gene serves or had served on the scientific advisory boards of the Allen Institute of Immunology, Locanabio, Eclipse Bioinnovations, Proteona, CircBio, Aquinnah, Cell Applications, Tecan, LGC, Sardona Therapeutics, Ladder Therapeutics, Insitro, Trotana, Nooma and Ribometrix. Gene is a senior advisor to Accelerator Life Sciences Partners. Gene’s lab has current or previous support from the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, TargetALS, ALS Foundation, Department of Defense, Myotonic Dystrophy Association, Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Takeda, Genentech and Roche.

Gene is the founder of the SCREEN (San Diego Covid-19 Research Enterprise Network, 2020) and founding member of the SEARCH (San Diego Epidemiology and Research for Covid Health, 2020) alliances in San Diego. SCREEN has ~1000 scientist members in San Diego focusing on grassroots research coordination and community outreach. SEARCH is focused on epidemiology studies of the prevalence of the virus completing a 12000-person study of viral spread. Gene is co-director of the EXCITE (Expedited Covid Identification Environment) lab that performs Covid high-throughput testing at UCSD and is a member of the Return-to-Learn steering committee at UCSD. Gene is on the Return-to-Work task force in Biocom.

Gene is the faculty founder of DASL (Diversity and Science Lecture Series, 2020) providing a voice for scientists to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion challenges and celebrate their scientific achievements. Gene was a Sword of Honor recipient (the highest honor) in Officer Cadet School in 1999 and has served in the Singapore Navy as a Naval officer. Gene has completed 2 full Ironman-distance and multiple half-ironman-, olympic-, sprint-distance triathlons, full marathons and half-marathons, but now spends time rock climbing.