The dynamic trans-bilayer movement of ions and phospholipids across cell membranes is essential for cell homeostasis and signaling. My long-term career goal is to establish a multi-disciplinary research lab to understand the ion and phospholipid membrane transport in health and disease. Ultimately, I hope to provide new therapeutic strategies to target these transport proteins for the treatment of related developmental disorders, blood coagulation disorders as well as viral infection.

1. Understanding physiological roles of TMEM16 Ca2+-activated ion channels and lipid scramblase. a) Discovered a novel Cl- conductance in controlling motor learning. b) Discovered a new player in mediating cell-cell fusion. c) Discovered the calcium regulatory mechanism upstream of TMEM16-lipid scramblase.

2. Non-invasive techniques for cerebral neuro-glia-vasculature visualization and neurological disorder evaluation. a) Advanced optical imaging methods for visualization of vasculature, glia and neuronal circuits in cortex in vivo. b) Noninvasive monitoring system for neurological disorders.

A. Lowry, P. Liang, Y. Wan, Z. Pei, H. Yang, Y. Zhang, TMEM16 and TMEM63/OSCA proteins share a conserved potential to permeate ions and phospholipids. bioRxiv, 2024.2002.2004.578431, doi:10.1101/2024.02.04.578431 (2024).

P. Liang1, Y. Zhang1, Y.S. Wan, S. Ma, P. Dong, A.J. Lowry, S.J. Francis, S. Khandelwal, M. Delahunty, M.J. Telen, J.J. Strouse, G.M. Arepally, H. Yang, Deciphering and Disrupting PIEZO1-TMEM16F Interplay in Hereditary Xerocytosis, Blood 143(4):357-69 (2024)

Y. Zhang, P. Liang, L. Yang K. Shan, L. Feng, Y. Chen, W. Liedtke, C. B. Coyne, H. Yang, Functional coupling between TRPV4 channel and TMEM16F modulates human trophoblast fusion. eLife 11: e78840 (2022)

Y. Zhang, T. Le, R. Grabau, Z. Mohseni, H. Kim, D. R. Natale, L. Feng, H. Pan, H. Yang, TMEM16F phospholipid scramblase mediates trophoblast fusion and placental development. Science Advances 6, eaba0310 (2020)

Y. Zhang, Z. Zhang, S. Xiao, J. Tien, S. Le, T. Le, L. Y. Jan, H. Yang, Inferior olivary TMEM16B mediates cerebellar motor learning, Neuron, 95:1103–1111 (2017)

X. Yang1, Y. Zhang1, K. Zhao, Y. Zhao, Y. Liu, H. Gong, Q. Luo, and D. Zhu, Skull Optical Clearing Solution for Enhancing Ultrasonic and Photoacoustic Imaging., IEEE Transactions on Medical imaging, 35(8):1903-6, (2016)

Y. Zhang, H. Yang, A simple and robust fluorescent labeling method to quantify trophoblast fusion, Placenta, 77:16-18 (2019) 

Y. Zhang, H. Yang, Quantification of Trophoblast Syncytialization by Fluorescent Membrane Labeling. Trophoblasts: Methods and Protocols. New York, NY: Springer US, 99-104 (2023)