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Yuyu Song, M.D.,Ph.D.

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Biography
1999 - 2004
Various Distiguished Awards in Academic Studies (including the President's Awards)
2003
Outstanding Honor in Medical Education and Clinical Practice
2003
"National 'Challenge Cup' Academic Research Competition" Winner-3rd place
2008
Graduate Student Travel Award, American Society for Mass Spectrometry
2009
Chancellor's Award for Leadership and Community Service
2009 - 2010
Various Graduate School Presenting Awards for Posters and Talks
2010
Travel Award and Selected Abstract Presentation, Gordon Research Conference
2010
Provost's W.C. and May Preble Deiss Grant for Biomedical Research
2010
Best Thesis of the Year at University of Illinois
2010
Best Poster Award at Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting
2010
Young Investigator Award, American Society of Neurochemistry
2010
Postdoctoral Travel Award, American Society for Cell Biology
2010
Travel Award and Invited Speaker, European Science Foundation
2011
Nomination for 2011 CGS/University Microfilms International Distinguished Dissertation Award
2011
Travel Award and Invited Speaker at Emerging Concept of Neuronal Cytoskeleton Conference
2011
Best Poster Award at International Society of Neurochemistry Advanced School
2011 - 2012
"Fight for Sight" Postdoctoral Research Grant
2014
Grass Fellowship
2015
"Advanced Imaging Center" Research Grant, HHMI/Janelia Research Campus

Overview
Trained as both a physician and a basic research scientist, Yuyu Song has a primary interest in research projects related to adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). This interest was first stimulated by her clinical experiences and eventually led to graduate work that explored topics related to both normal neural development and neurodegeneration including: 1) specializations of the neuronal cytoskeleton that are essential for normal neuronal structure and function; and 2) molecular mechanisms underlying adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases. This includes AD, ALS, Huntington’s Disease (HD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and HIV neuropathy. Inspired by the possibility of conducting translational neuroscience research, Dr. Song obtained postdoctoral training at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where she studied childhood neurological diseases caused by tubulin mutations. This work explored the puzzle of selective vulnerability of neurons in various neuromotor disorders and led her to Dr. Arthur Horwich’s laboratory at HHMI/Yale School of Medicine. There she examined the molecular mechanism of ALS via three areas that might provide insights into the puzzle: 1) protein misfolding/quality control and molecular chaperones; 2) axonal transport deficits and altered motor protein behavior; and 3) synaptic dysfunction and aberrant Ca2+ influx. Her work revealed signaling pathways that connect these three aspects of disease pathology, and that may also involve the innate immune response and neuroinflammation. As the intertwined and multifactorial pathogenesis of these diseases emerged and suggested potential therapeutic approaches, Dr. Song joined the Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology at the Harvard Medical School. Here she aims to develop new drugs and/or repurpose and modify existing ones, that target the signaling pathway components and neuronal cytoskeletal disruptions observed in neurodegenerative diseases.

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Funded by the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through its Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, grant number UL1TR002541.