Youyang Zhao, Ph.D.

Professor and Director
Northwestern Univ-Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Research Interests: A part of the research in my laboratory is directed toward delineating the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms mediating endothelial dysfunction and increased lung vascular permeability with a focus on lung endothelial regeneration and vascular repair. We also have great efforts in understanding the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Another aspect of my research is to determine how vascular endothelium regulates cardiomyocyte survival and regeneration during heart repair and regeneration. Our long-term goals are to develop novel therapeutic approaches to target the dysfunctional endothelium for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), PAH, and AMI. Current projects include 1) molecular mechanisms of endothelial injury, and regeneration and vascular repair; 2) resolution of inflammatory vascular injury; 3) mechanisms of obliterative pulmonary vascular remodeling, and right heart failure in pulmonary arterial hypertension; 4) AI-based drug discovery and repurposing, endothelium-targeted nanomedicine, and in vivo CRISPR genome editing targeting postnatal vascular endothelium; therapeutic genome editing; 5) endothelial regulation of cardiac regeneration and repair; 6) identification of endothelial stem cells for endothelial regeneration and vascular repair, 7) aging and epigenetic regulation of endothelial regeneration and vascular repair; 8) role of endothelium on healthy aging and longevity; 9) vascularized lung organoids and bioengineered vessel-graft with patient iPS.

NAVBO Activities:
Member since 2013
Poster judge (NAVBO annual meetings, 2018, 2024)
Abstract reviewer (Vascular Biology 2024, 25)
Invited speaker (Vasculata 2017, NAVBO Journal Club-Jan, 2024, NAVBO InFocus-Feb, 2024, NAVBO webinar symposium-lung endothelium during repair and regeneration-April 2026)
Session co-chair (Vascular Biology 2024-Inflammaging and age-related vascular disease; Vascular Biology 2025-Regenerative medicine and cardiovascular repair).

Related Experience:
2013-2017 Faculty Advisory committee member, Dept of Pharmacology, University of Illinois at Chicago
2018-present Appointment Promotion and Tenure committee, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
2017-present Director, Program for lung and vascular biology, Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
2019-present Head, Injury repair and regeneration research section, Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
2023-present Director, Genetic Medicine and Nanotechnology Development Center (GeneMeNDer), Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
2020-2024, permanent member, RIBT study section; adhoc co-chair, RIBT study section
2012-present. Academic Editor, PLoS ONE
2021-present. Associate Editor, Frontiers in Medicine/Pulmonary Medicine