Junying Yu
Encyclopedia
Junying Yu, is an American
stem cell
biologist
. She is currently a researcher
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
, China
. In 1997, Yu graduated from the Department of Biology of Peking University
in Beijing
. She then went to USA to continue her study, and obtained PhD
from the University of Pennsylvania
in 2003.
In 2003, Yu joined James Thomson
's lab at UW–Madison as a researcher. Yu is an important leader in developing novel method of reprogramming adult cells to create pluripotent cells which are not from embryonic stem cell
s. In Nov 2007, a study done by Yu et al. achieved the production of induced pluripotent stem cells by genetic reprogramming of human dermal fibroblasts (from a baby's foreskin). This groundbreaking result was published in Science
.
, was recognized as one of the "Person of the Year" for 2007 by the TIME magazine
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
. She is currently a researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
Biography
Yu was born in 1975 in ZhejiangZhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. In 1997, Yu graduated from the Department of Biology of Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. She then went to USA to continue her study, and obtained PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 2003.
In 2003, Yu joined James Thomson
James Thomson (cell biologist)
James Alexander Thomson is an American developmental biologist best known for deriving the first human embryonic stem cell line in 1998 and for deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells in 2007.-Thomson's research:...
's lab at UW–Madison as a researcher. Yu is an important leader in developing novel method of reprogramming adult cells to create pluripotent cells which are not from embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells...
s. In Nov 2007, a study done by Yu et al. achieved the production of induced pluripotent stem cells by genetic reprogramming of human dermal fibroblasts (from a baby's foreskin). This groundbreaking result was published in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
.
Recognition
Yu, along with Thomson and Shinya YamanakaShinya Yamanaka
is a Japanese physician and adult stem cell researcher. He serves as the director of Center for iPS Cell Research and Application and a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyoto University, as a senior investigator at the UCSF-affiliated J...
, was recognized as one of the "Person of the Year" for 2007 by the TIME magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
.