Education

2019-2022     PhD in Medical Science, University of Cambridge

2018-2019     MSc in Mathematical Sciences, University of Oxford

2015-2018     BSc in Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics, University of Warwick

Academic Experience

2024- now     Principal Investigator, Changping Laboratory

2023-2024     MRC Postdoctoral Fellow, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge

2023-2024     UK University Worker, Genomic Sciences Department, GlaxoSmithKline plc

Overview of Academic Research

The main area of Dr Yajie Zhao's research is genetic epidemiology, which is one of the most translational and energetic fields in life science nowadays. In recent years, Dr Yajie Zhao has designed a full set of analytical frameworks from traditional epidemiological analysis to human genetic analysis based on large population cohorts represented by the UK Biobank, integrating and analysing multi-omics data including genome, metabolome and proteome to reveal the causes and mechanisms of complex human traits, and then seeking for potential targets. His previous research focused on metabolic and clonal hematopoietic-related phenotypes, for which he made several breakthroughs.

Major Honor and Awards

2021     Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad

2023     Postdoctoral finalist for the 2023 Trainee Awards for Excellence in Human Genetics Research for the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics

2023     ACGA (The Association of Chinese Geneticists in America) Award for Postdoctoral Translational Research

 

Representative Research Achievements 

1.    Liu A*, Genovese G*, Zhao Y*, et al. Population analyses of mosaic X chromosome loss identify genetic drivers and widespread signatures of cellular selection. Nature (2024).

2.    Zhao Y*, Chukanova M*, Kentistou K*, et al. Protein-truncating variants in BSN are associated with severe obesity, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Nat Genet. (2023). Published online April 4, 2024.

3.    Brown DW*, Cato LD*, Zhao Y*, et al. Shared and distinct genetic etiologies for different types of clonal hematopoiesis. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):5536. Published 2023 Sep 8.

4.    Zhao Y, Gardner EJ, Tuke MA, et al. Detection and characterization of male sex chromosome abnormalities in the UK Biobank study. Genet Med. 2022;24(9):1909-1919.

5.    Koprulu M*, Zhao Y*, Wheeler E, et al. Identification of Rare Loss-of-Function Genetic Variation Regulating Body Fat Distribution. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(4):1065-1077.

6.    Zhao Y, Stankovic S, Koprulu M, et al. GIGYF1 loss of function is associated with clonal mosaicism and adverse metabolic health. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):4178. Published 2021 Jul 7.