Dr. Zhicao Yue

Vita

I grow up in a small village in rural China , Hunan Province . My undergraduate study was in Tsinghua University , Beijing , major in biology (1991-1996). There I continued for a master degree in biochemistry, supervised by Dr Changxue Zheng (1996-1999). My PhD training is on developmental biology and the regulation of epithelial stem cells, in Dr Cheng-ming Chuong's lab, Dept of Pathology, USC (1999-2005). Now I am doing postdoct in Dr Chih-ming Ho's lab, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, UCLA. My goal is to explore the fascinating possibilities after combining biomedical sciences with the most advanced technologies in engineering.

Research

We focus on two sides of the story: one on directed differentiation of stem cells, and one on guiding cells to form specific spatial patterns in tissue engineering.

Education

• Ph. D. Pathology, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California, 1999-2005.
  Research topic: regulation and guidance of feather epithelial stem cells.
• M. S. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology , Tsinghua University, China, 1996-1999.
  Research topic: protein/peptide drug delivery through oral route for diabetes treatment.
• B. S. Biological Sciences & Biotechnology , Tsinghua University, China, 1991-1996.

Honors

• Travel award for American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) annual meeting, 2002.
• Guang Hua Award, Tsinghua University , 1997.

Publications

1. Yue, Z. , Jiang, T.-X., Widelitz, R.B., and Chuong, C.M. Mapping stem cell activities in the feather follicle. Nature 438: 1026-1029, 2005.
2. Yue, Z. , Jiang, T.-X., Widelitz, R.B., and Chuong, CM. Wnt3a gradient converts radial to bilateral feather symmetry via topological arrangement of epithelia. (accepted).
3. Yue, Z. , Jiang, T.-X., Wu, P., Widelitz, R.B., and Chuong, C.M. FGF signaling patterns the proximal-distal axis of feather follicles. (Submitted).
4. Yu, M., Yue, Z. , Wu, P., Wu, D.Y., Mayer, J., Medina , M., Widelitz, R.B., Jiang, T.X., and Chuong, C.M. The developmental biology of feather follicles. Int. J. Dev. Biol . 48: 181-192, 2004.
5. Chodankar, R., Chang, C.H., Yue, Z ., Jiang, T.X., Suksaweang, S., Burrus, L., Chuong, C.M., and Widelitz, R.B. Shift of localized growth zones contributes to skin appendage morphogenesis: role of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. J. Invest. Dermatol. 120:20-26, 2003.
6. Duan, M.X., Yue, Z. , Ma, H., and Zheng, C.X. Structure of insulin-encapsulated polyalkylcyanoacrylated nanoparticles. Chinese Pharm. J. 34: 23-26, 1999.

Contact Info

Mailing Address:
48-121 Engineering IV
420 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Phone: 310-825-8275
Fax: 310-825-1350
Email: zyue@ucla.edu