Institute for Molecular Bioscience

Dr Yuanzhao Cao

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
+61 7 334 62385
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Researcher biography

I am an internationally competitive cell biologist with skills in molecular and cell biology, stem cell biology, mechanisms of protein activation, inflammatory and metabolic diseases, cancers, cardiovascular disease, as well as pharmaceutical drug discovery and development. I have more than 6 years' research experience since my PhD commencement. My work in the last 3 years has resulted in invitations to present at scientific meetings, including at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging Symposium (DEC 2020), UQ ECR Life Science Symposium (MAY 2022), IMB Cell Biology Forum (JUL 2022), The Safety Pharmacology Society 2022 Annual Meeting (present by my collaborator Nanion Technologies, Canada, SEP 2022), as well as invitations to attend UQ Research Commercialisation Workshop (JUL 2022). Since my PhD completion in 2020, I have been working on cardiovascular development and disease using human pluripotent stem cells and gene/protein interaction approaches to study pathologies in the heart and to discover novel drugs. My work has attracted to Peer Review on Pathogens (2021-2022), Cell Stem Cell (MAR 2022), IUBMB Life (JUL 2022), Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (SEP 2022) . Additionally, I am supervising two undergraduate students (50% each) as well as one Medical Degree student (100%) on cardiac cell biology projects, including cardiac cell differentiation from human stem cell, maturation, disease modelling and drug screening. This work is currently supported by fellowship funding from University of Queensland and federal funding support from the Palpant laboratory supporting my early career research in academia.

Featured projects Duration
Developing new drugs for heart disease
Harnessing control of stem cell decisions and functions

Publications

Journal Articles (10)
Conference Papers (2)

Journal Articles

Kramer, Simon, Kotapati, Charan, Cao, Yuanzhao, Fry, Bryan G., Palpant, Nathan J., King, Glenn F. and Cardoso, Fernanda C. (2024). High-content fluorescence bioassay investigates pore formation, ion channel modulation and cell membrane lysis induced by venoms. Toxicon: X, 21 100184, 100184. doi: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2024.100184
Wu, Zhixuan, Shen, Sophie, Mizikovsky, Dalia, Cao, Yuanzhao, Naval-Sanchez, Marina, Tan, Siew Zhuan, Alvarez, Yanina D., Sun, Yuliangzi, Chen, Xiaoli, Zhao, Qiongyi, Kim, Daniel, Yang, Pengyi, Hill, Timothy A., Jones, Alun, Fairlie, David P., Pébay, Alice, Hewitt, Alex W., Tam, Patrick P.L., White, Melanie D., Nefzger, Christian M. and Palpant, Nathan J. (2024). Wnt dose escalation during the exit from pluripotency identifies tranilast as a regulator of cardiac mesoderm. Developmental Cell, 59 (6), 705-722.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.01.019
Friedman, Clayton E., Cheetham, Seth W., Negi, Sumedha, Mills, Richard J., Ogawa, Masahito, Redd, Meredith A., Chiu, Han Sheng, Shen, Sophie, Sun, Yuliangzi, Mizikovsky, Dalia, Bouveret, Romaric, Chen, Xiaoli, Voges, Holly K., Paterson, Scott, De Angelis, Jessica E., Andersen, Stacey B., Cao, Yuanzhao, Wu, Yang, Jafrani, Yohaann M.A., Yoon, Sohye, Faulkner, Geoffrey J., Smith, Kelly A., Porrello, Enzo, Harvey, Richard P., Hogan, Benjamin M., Nguyen, Quan, Zeng, Jian, Kikuchi, Kazu, Hudson, James E. and Palpant, Nathan J. (2023). HOPX-associated molecular programs control cardiomyocyte cell states underpinning cardiac structure and function. Developmental Cell, 59 (1), 91-107.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.012
Cao, Yuanzhao, Redd, Meredith A., Fang, Chen, Mizikovsky, Dalia, Li, Xichun, Macdonald, Peter S., King, Glenn F. and Palpant, Nathan J. (2023). New drug targets and preclinical modelling recommendations for treating acute myocardial infarction. Heart, Lung and Circulation, 32 (7), 852-869. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2022.12.015
Cao, Yuanzhao and Palpant, Nathan J. (2022). The ins and outs of cellular pH during cardiac ischemia. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 174, 133-134. doi: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2022.12.004
Lu, Jiaqi, Cheng, Kuoyuan, Zhang, Bo, Xu, Huan, Cao, Yuanzhao, Guo, Fei, Feng, Xudong and Xia, Qing (2015). Novel mechanisms for superoxide-scavenging activity of human manganese superoxide dismutase determined by the K68 key acetylation site. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 85, 114-126. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2015.04.011
Lu, Jiaqi, Cao, Yuanzhao, Cheng, Kuoyuan, Xu, Bo, Wang, Tianchang, Yang, Qi, Yang, Qin, Feng, Xudong and Xia, Qing (2015). Berberine regulates neurite outgrowth through AMPK-dependent pathways by lowering energy status. Experimental Cell Research, 334 (2), 194-206. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2015.04.006
Cheng, Kuo-Yuan, Guo, Fei, Lu, Jia-Qi, Cao, Yuan-Zhao, Wang, Tian-Chang, Yang, Qi and Xia, Qing (2015). MnTM-4-PyP modulates endogenous antioxidant responses and protects primary cortical neurons against oxidative stress. CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics, 21 (5), 435-445. doi: 10.1111/cns.12373
Ramamurthy, S., Chang, E., Cao, Y., Zhu, J. and Ronnett, G. V. (2014). AMPK activation regulates neuronal structure in developing hippocampal neurons. Neuroscience, 259, 13-24. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.11.048
Huang, Hai-Feng, Guo, Fei, Cao, Yuan-Zhao, Shi, Wen and Xia, Qing (2012). Neuroprotection by manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) mimics: antioxidant effect and oxidative stress regulation in acute experimental stroke. CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics, 18 (10), 811-818. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2012.00380.x

Conference Papers

Cao, Yuanzhao, Redd, Meredith A., Shim, Woo Jun, Fang, Chen, Chiu, Han, Azofeifa, Daniela Rojas, Thomas, Ulrich, Lemme, Marta, Dragicevic, Elena, Stoelzle-Feix, Sonja and Palpant, Nathan J. (2023). Disease modeling utilizing human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and physiological characterization. Safety Pharmacology Society Annual Meeting, Brussels, Belgium, 18-21 September 2023. Philadelphia, PA United States: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.vascn.2023.107267
Cheng, Kuoyuan, Guo, Fei, Lu, Jiaqi, Cao, Yuanzhao and Xia, Qing (2015). MnTM-4-PyP protects cortical neurons against oxidative stress via induction of cellular antioxidant responses. Joint Meeting of the 20th Biennial Meeting of the International-Society-for-Developmental-Neuroscience / 5th Annual NeuroDevNet Brain Development Conference, Montreal Canada, Jul 19-24, 2014. OXFORD: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.04.276