Email: yanghaoxiang7@gmail.com

About me

I am a second-year neuroscience PhD student at Johns Hopkins University in Blackshaw lab. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Turing Class, Peking University and Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

My interest lies in understanding the key regulators of aging to develop targeted therapeutics with leading technologies. I started biology research with Dr. Jay Tan as mentor, and with Dr. Toren Finkel at Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPMC), working on aging and lysosomes.

See the following for a full list of experience.

Research Interest

I focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms of aging, such as how to activate or reprogram existing mechanisms to slow down aging, how to utilize omics and computations to identify key regulators, and how to develop potential therapeutics for aging and aging-related diseases.

Publications

Haoxiang Yang*, Jinrui Xun*, Yajuan Li, Awishi Mondal, Lv Bo, Simon C. Watkins, Lingyan Shi, Jay Xiaojun Tan. LYVAC/PDZD8 is a lysosomal vacuolator. Science. 2025 Aug 21;389(6762):eadz0972. doi: 10.1126/science.adz0972

      Highlight: A protein tunnel helps stressed lysosomes swell. Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz. Science. 2025 Aug 21;389(6762):782-783. doi: 10.1126/science.aea5377.

      UPMC news: “Overinflated Balloons:” Study Reveals How Cellular Waste Disposal System Deals with Stress

      BioArt: Science | 谭小军团队揭示溶酶体液泡化的核心机制

Lysosomal quality control: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Haoxiang Yang, Jay Xiaojun Tan. Trends in Cell Biology, 2023.

A TBK1-independent primordial function of STING in lysosomal biogenesis. Bo Lv, William A Dion, Haoxiang Yang, Jinrui Xun, Do-Hyung Kim, Bokai Zhu, Jay Xiaojun Tan. Molecular Cell, 2024.

A conserved ion channel function of STING mediates non-canonical autophagy and cell death. Jinrui Xun*, Zhichao Zhang*, Bo Lyu*, Defen Lu*, Haoxiang Yang, Guijun Shang, Jay Xiaojun Tan. EMBO Reports, 2024.

The PITT pathway: Keeping lysosomes young. Haoxiang Yang, Jay Xiaojun Tan. Clinical and Translational Medicine, 2022.

Resume

Link

Previous experience and coworkers

During M.S. at Carnegie Mellon University

UPitt, 2022-2024 Advisor/Mentor: Dr. Jay Xiaojun Tan; also working with Dr. Toren Finkel

During B.S. at Peking University

PKU, 2021-2022 Advisor: Dr. Yizhou Wang: Mentor: Fangwei Zhong; Co-worker: Kejuan Yang

Stanford, 2021 Advisor: Dr. Leonidas Guibas; Mentor: Yanchao Yang, Kaichun Mo

Mila, 2021 Advisor: Dr. Jian Tang; Mentor: Chence Shi, Huiyu Cai; Co-worker: Chang Ma

Last updated: Aug 23, 2025