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Exercise, Skeletal muscle, Muscle adaptation, Mitophagy, Mitochondrial biogenesis, Antioxidant defence, Insulin resistance, Diabetic cardiomyopathy, Multiple organ dysfunction syndrom, Catabolic muscle wasting, Cardiac cachexia, Heart failure, Friedrich's ataxia, Exercise intolerance, Resistance exercise, Endurance exercise, Muscle atrophy
United States

Biography

Trained as a surgeon in China, Dr. Yan has devoted his career to research on exercise and health. He obtained M.S. degree (1991) in Kinesiology under Abram Katz from University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and Ph.D. degree (1995) in Physiology and Cell Biology under Frank W. Booth from University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He received his post-doctoral training (1999) in Molecular Cardiology under R. Sanders Williams at UT Southwestern Medical Center. After serving as a Lead Scientist (2000-2002) in the Alliance for Cellular Signaling led by Nobel Laureate Alfred Gilman, Dr. Yan moved to Duke University in 2002 and started his independent research and was later involved in the establishment of Duke-NUS Graduate School Singapore as a founding faculty (2006) before joining Cardiovascular Medicine and the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center at University of Virginia in 2009. Dr. Yan became the inaugural director of the Center for Exercise Medicine at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion in 2022. Dr. Yan is known for his expertise in animal models of exercise and his research on exercise in health and disease. He has authored 125 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Dr. Yan serves on the Organizing Committee for International Biochemistry of Exercise Conference (IBEC) and editorial boards for Journal of Biological Chemistry and American Journal of Physiology. Dr. Yan is the recipient of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Jacobæus Prize 2022.

Activities

Employment (17)

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: Roanoke, VA, US

2022-09-01 to present | Professor and Director (Center for Exercise Medicine Research)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

University of Virginia: CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, US

2017-07-01 to 2022-08-31 | Professor (Cardiovascular Medicine)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Tianjing University of Sport: Tianjin, CN

2017 to 2021 | Distinguished Visiting Professor
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

University of Virginia: Charlottesville, VA, US

2009-01-01 to 2017-06-30 | Associate Professor (Medicine-Cardiovascular Medicine, Pharmacology, Molecular Physiology & Biological Physics)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University: Dalian, Dalian, CN

2013-05-01 to 2016-04-30 | Distinguished Visiting Professor
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Dalian Medical University: Dalian, Liaoning, CN

2003-05-01 to 2013-04-30 | Visiting Professor
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Wenzhou Medical University: Wenzhou, Zhejiang, CN

2006-05-01 to 2009-04-30 | Visiting Professor
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences: Singapore, SG

2008-01-01 to 2008-12-31 | Adjunct Principal Investigator
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Duke University: Durham, NC, US

2007-06-01 to 2008-12-31 | Associate Professor (Medicine-Cardiology)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School: Singapore, SG

2006-08-01 to 2008-12-31 | Associate Professor
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Chapel Hill, NC, US

2003-08-01 to 2008-12-31 | Adjunct Assistant Professor (Cell and Molecular Physiology)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Duke University: Durham, North Carolina, US

2002-08-01 to 2007-05-31 | Assistant Research Professor (Medicine-Cardiology)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: Dallas, TX, US

2000-11-01 to 2002-07-31 | Assistant Professor (Pharmacology and Internal Medicine)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

University of Texas Southwestern Medical School: Dallas, TX, US

1999-05-01 to 2000-10-31 | Instructor (Internal Medicine)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Nanjing Workers' Palace Education Center: Nanjing, Jiangsu, CN

1986-08-01 to 1988-12-31 | Lecturer (English)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Nanjing Health School: Nanjing, Jiangsu, CN

1981-08-01 to 1988-12-31 | Lecturer (Pharmacology and Surgery)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Nanjing First Hospital: Nangjing, Jiangsu, CN

1982-08-01 to 1983-07-31 | Visiting Surgeon (Surgery)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Education and qualifications (5)

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: Dallas, TX, US

1995-05-01 to 1999-04-30 | Post-doctoral fellow (Cardiology)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: Houston, TX, US

1991-08-01 to 1995-05-01 | Ph.D. (Physiology and Cell Biology)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign: Urbana, Illinois, US

1989-08-01 to 1991-05-01 | M.S. (Kinesiology)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Medical Worker's College of Jiangsu Province: Nanjing, Jiangsu, CN

1983-09-01 to 1986-06-01 | B.S.Med. (M.D.)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Nanjing Health School: Nanjing, Jiangsu, CN

1978-03-01 to 1981-06-01 | Certificate
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Funding (13)

Machine learning-based multi-omics modeling and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in elucidating molecular transducer of physical activity

2020-09-30 to 2023-05-31 | Grant
National Institute on Aging (Baltimore, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: U01AG070960
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard

mitoAMPK in exercise benefits

2020-06-01 to 2025-05-31 | Grant
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (Bethesda, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: R01AR077440
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard

Muscle-mediated protection against MODS

2015-04-01 to 2019-01-31 | Grant
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (Bethesda, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: R01GM114840
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Atg6 in Protection Against Insulin Resistance

2012-07-01 to 2013-06-30 | Grant
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (Bethesda, US)
Part of GRANT_NUMBER: F32DK095559
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Mitochondrial Lipid Kinase

2012-01-10 to 2014-03-31 | Grant
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Bethesda, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: R21HD068953
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard

NO-dependent SOD3 protection against cachexia

2011-09-15 to 2013-08-31 | Grant
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (Bethesda, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: R21AR060444
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Calcium desensitization in Smooth Muscle

2006-04-01 to 2010-06-30 | Grant
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (Bethesda, US)
Part of GRANT_NUMBER: R01DK065954
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

p38 MAPK a regulator of muscle contraction and function

2003-12-01 to 2017-06-30 | Grant
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (Bethesda, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: R01AR050429
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard
grade
Preferred source (of 2)‎

Exercise on atherosclerosis

2003-07 to 2004-06 | Award
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (MD, MD, US)
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Phosphatase regulation of mammalian DNA replication

2001-01 to 2004-12 | Grant
American Heart Association (TX, TX, US)
GRANT_NUMBER:

0130261N

Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of human Cdc6 regulates DNA replication

1999-07 to 2000-12 | Grant
American Heart Association (TX, TX, US)
GRANT_NUMBER:

9960102Y

Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan

Molecular Genetics of Muscle Specialization

1991-04-01 to 2009-06-30 | Grant
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (Bethesda, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: R56AR040849
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard

Molecular Genetics of Muscles Specialization

1991-04-01 to 2007-03-31 | Grant
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (Bethesda, US)
GRANT_NUMBER: R01AR040849
Source: Self-asserted source
Zhen Yan via DimensionsWizard

Peer review (1 review for 1 publication/grant)

Review activity for PloS one. (1)