Yuanyuan Chen, PhD

           I am a chemical biologist with a strong background in biochemistry and pharmacology. I joined the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. My research interest centers on the disease mechanism and drug discovery for protein misfolding diseases affecting vision. One example is retinitis pigmentosa. 

          Supported by a K99/R00 Path to Independence Award, I discovered a novel pharmacological chaperone and inverse agonist of rod opsin, and this work was published in Nature Communications. I am currently investigating the molecular pathways involved in the regulation of folding and degradation misfolded rhodopsin using both in vitro and in vivo models. The impact of this study is significant because the molecular pathways for misfolding protein degradation can be largely shared among many proteinopathies and therefore the small molecules developed from this study can be applied to other misfolding diseases. 

           I currently hold three patents of small molecules as chaperones, degradation enhancers, and retinal protective agents. My lab is currently supported by a R01 grant (2020-2025) and my startup fund. 

          As a mom of three boys, I enjoy working with young talents and supporting their growth. My laboratory welcomes scientists at varying levels with a diversity of backgrounds.