Yi-Mei (Amy) Yang, PhD

Faculty, Graduate Program in Neuroscience

Faculty, Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program 

Faculty, Developmental Biology Center

Member, Society for Neuroscience 

Synapses are the fundamental units of neural communication in the brain. Using multidisciplinary approaches, we study how synaptic structure and function are precisely shaped during development and how their dysfunctions lead to neurological disorders. By understanding the physio-pathological roles of critical synaptic proteins and ion channels at the cellular, circuitry and system levels, we aim to identify novel targets and further develop pharmacological and genetic therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

ASD is characterized by defective social interactions, impaired communication and restricted patterns of repetitive behaviors. Although ASD involves many brain areas, emerging evidence suggests that aberrant activity of the cerebellum in the early developmental stage can lead to ASD. Employing various autistic mouse models to simulate the complex etiology of ASD, we investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the cerebellum pathology. By selectively manipulating the excitability of cerebellar neurons, we ask how dysfunction of the cerebellum affects the brain circuitry and generates the autistic phenotypes over development.

Fekete, A, Nakamura, Y, Yang, Y-MA, Herlitze, S, Mark, MD, DiGregorio, DA & Wang, LY 2019, 'Underpinning heterogeneity in synaptic transmission by presynaptic ensembles of distinct morphological modules' Nature communications, vol. 10, no. 1, 826. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-08452-2

Chao, OY & Yang, Y-MA 2019, ' Timing constraints of action potential evoked Ca 2+ current and transmitter release at a central nerve terminal ' Scientific reports, vol. 9, no. 1, 4448. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41120-5

Wang, AL, Chao, OY, Yang, Y-MA, Trossbach, SV, Müller, CP, Korth, C, Huston, JP & de Souza Silva, MA 2019, 'Anxiogenic-like behavior and deficient attention/working memory in rats expressing the human DISC1 gene' Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, vol. 179, pp. 73-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2019.02.005

Chao, OY, Yunger, R & Yang, Y-MA 2018, 'Behavioral assessments of BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J mice by tests of object attention and elevated open platform: Implications for an animal model of psychiatric comorbidity in autism' Behavioural Brain Research, vol. 347, pp. 140-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.03.014

Yang, Y-MA, Arsenault, J, Bah, A, Krzeminski, M, Fekete, A, Chao, OY, Pacey, LK, Wang, A, Forman-Kay, J, Hampson, DR & Wang, LY 2018, 'Identification of a molecular locus for normalizing dysregulated GABA release from interneurons in the Fragile X brain' Molecular psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0240-0

Chao, OY, Yunger, R & Yang, Y-MA 2019, 'Corrigendum to “Behavioral assessments of BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J mice by tests of object attention and elevated open platform: implications for an animal model of psychiatric comorbidity in autism” [Behav. Brain Res. 347 (2018) 140–147] (Behavioural Brain Research (2018) 347 (140–147), (S0166432817320491), (10.1016/j.bbr.2018.03.014))' Behavioural Brain Research, vol. 356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.026

Yang, YM & Wang, LY 2017, 'Ageing brains attend a symphony with asynchronous transmitter release' Journal of Physiology, vol. 595, no. 3, pp. 613-614. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP273421

Yang, Y-MA, Wang, W, Fedchyshyn, MJ, Zhou, Z, Ding, J & Wang, LY 2014, 'Enhancing the fidelity of neurotransmission by activity-dependent facilitation of presynaptic potassium currents' Nature Communications, vol. 5, 4564. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5564

Wang, W, Luo, J, Hou, P, Yang, Y, Xiao, F, Yuchi, M, Qu, A, Wang, L & Ding, J 2013, 'Native Gating Behavior of Ion Channels in Neurons with Null-Deviation Modeling' PloS one, vol. 8, no. 10, e77105. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077105

Yang, YM, Aitoubah, J, Lauer, AM, Nuriya, M, Takamiya, K, Jia, Z, May, BJ, Huganir, RL & Wang, LY 2011, 'GluA4 is indispensable for driving fast neurotransmission across a high-fidelity central synapse' Journal of Physiology, vol. 589, no. 17, pp. 4209-4227. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.208066