Yan Hao

Hao joined Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School as an Assistant Professor in January 2023. Hao was born and raised in the Hubei province of China. He attended Tianjin University for his undergraduate education (2008), majoring in Materials Chemistry. Hao conducted his Ph.D. research (2012-2018) with Prof. Feiyu Kang in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University while co-mentored by Prof. Si-Shen Feng from the National University of Singapore. Then, Hao continued her postdoctoral training with Prof. Seok-Hyun Andy Yun at the Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard University from March 2019 to December 2022.

Hao is interested in exploiting the understanding of tissue, cell, and molecule of diseases to design biomaterials that read, modify, and affect specific molecular functions, including in vivo gene therapy/cell engineering, highly multiplexed molecular imaging, and spatiotemporal single-cell omics. Hao's previous research focuses on efficiently using living light by constructing multi-specific photonic biomaterials for molecular imaging, phototherapy, and single-cell analysis for precision oncology. In the last five years, Hao has published ten papers as the first or corresponding author in prestigious biomaterials, nanomedicine, and molecular imaging journals, such as Adv. Mater., Biomaterials, and Adv. Funct. Mater. In addition, Hao led and completed an NIH R01 grant and participated in the NIH Director's Transformative Research Award as a critical member of Yun Lab at Harvard Medical School.

Sep. 2012 - Jul. 2018, MSc & Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, China

Sep. 2008 - Jul. 2012, B.S. in Materials Chemistry, Tianjin University, China

Jan. 2023 - present, Assistant Professor, Tsinghua-Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, China

Mar. 2019 - Dec. 2022, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital, USA

Sep. 2018 - Jan. 2019, Research Assistant, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tsinghua University, China

Peer reviewer of Biomaterials, Theranostics, Advanced Healthcare Materials, Frontiers in Immunology, Biomedical microdevices, Nanomedicine, Next Materials, etc.

Graduate courses (SIGS): Probe Material Technology in Molecular Imaging (85991342), Biomaterials Science and Technology (85991353).

Hao's group is currently mainly engaged in developing optical biomaterials for molecular therapy, in vivo imaging, and single-cell analysis, which involves multidisciplinary intersections such as material chemistry, biomedicine, and electronic optics. Based on the multidimensional molecular profiling of the disease's dynamic process, we hope to develop intelligent biomaterials that can read and modify specific cell functions, achieving rapid and accurate diagnosis, spatiotemporal single-cell analysis, and in vivo CAR-T therapy for precise oncology.

1. Highly Multi-Color Fluorescent Biomaterials/Imaging: Development of highly multicolor, protein-sized, luminescent probes or devices for molecular imaging of live cells or tissues in vivo;

2, In Vivo CAR-T/Gene Therapies: Development of efficient and accurate drug delivery platform to mRNA, gene editing tools for in vivo gene or CAR-T therapies.

3, Spatiotemporal Single-Cell Omics: Development and application of ultra-flexible material devices for in vivo treatment and diagnosis. Development and application of spatiotemporal single-cell omics-related biomaterials, biotech, and algorithms.

Opening Positions: We seek passionate, highly motivated, ambitious, and creative postdocs and PhD students to join our team.

1. Q. Wang^#, Z. Zhang^#, H. Yan*, et al. Bispecific, Exosome‐Mimetic Lipid Nanoparticles Facilitate Dual siRNAs for Synergistic Therapy against Pancreatic Cancer. Advanced Functional Materials, 2024, 2400485.

2. H. Yan, XD Sun*, J Tian*, FY Kang*, et al. Planted graphene quantum dots for targeted, enhanced tumor imaging and long-term visualization of local pharmacokinetics. Advanced Materials, 2023: 2210809.

3. H. Yan, SH Yun*, et al. All-natural-molecule, self-luminescent photodynamic therapy results in complete tumor regression and prevents metastasis, Biomaterials, 2023: 122079.

4. Q. Wang, JY. Wang, H. Yan*, et al. An ultra-small bispecific protein augments tumor penetration and treatment for pancreatic cancer. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 2023: 1-15. (Medical Imaging Top)

5. Q. Wang^#, H. Yan^# (co-first author), J Tian*, XM Zhao* et al. Construction of a novel bispecific fusion protein to enhance targeting for pancreatic cancer imaging, Biomaterials. 2020, 255: 12061-12070.

6. H. Yan, J Tian*, FY Kang*, et al. All-in-One Nanoparticles for Trimodality Imaging-Guided Intracellular Photo-magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy under Intravenous Administration, Advanced Functional Materials. 2018, 1705710.

7. Q. Wang#, H. Yan#, J Tian* et al. A novel plectin/integrin-targeted bispecific molecular probe for magnetic resonance/near-infrared imaging of pancreatic cancer, Biomaterials. 2018, 183: 173-184.

Excellent Student Leader (graduate) at Tsinghua University (2013)

Outstanding Undergraduate of Tianjin University & Tianjin (2012)