John Yuen 
Education:
B.A. New York University (2016)
Ph.D. Stony Brook University (2023)
Current Position:
8th Year MSTP
4Th Year Medical Student
Advisor:
Jingfang Ju
Graduate Program:
Genetics
Research Interest:
On a global level, I am interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that shape the diverse presentations of human disease and their challenges to treatment. My current research focuses on microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer, their roles in oncogenesis, and their general tendency to promote resistance to therapy. MiRNAs are pleiotropic post-transcriptional modulators of gene expression. This inherently pleiotropic nature make miRNAs strong candidates for the development of cancer therapeutics. Specifically, my recent work aims to develop chemically-modified tumor suppressor miRNAs that can inhibit oncogenic gene expression and overcome chemoresistance to treat cancer.
Publications:
Hwang, G. R., Yuen, J. G., Fesler, A., Farley, H., Haley, J. D., & Ju, J. (2023). Development of a 5-FU modified miR-129 mimic as a therapeutic for non-small cell lung cancer. Molecular Therapy-Oncolytics, 28, 277-292.
Yuen, J. G., Fesler, A., Hwang, G. R., Chen, L. B., & Ju, J. (2022). Development of 5-FU-modified tumor suppressor microRNAs as a platform for novel microRNA-based cancer therapeutics. Molecular Therapy.
Yuen, J. G., Marshilok, A. C., Benziger, P. T., Yan, S., Cello, J., Stackhouse, C. A., ... & Shroyer, K. R. (2022). Dry heat sterilization as a method to recycle N95 respirator masks: The importance of fit. PloS one, 17(1), e0257963.
Sloat, S. A., Noble, L. M., Paaby, A. B., Bernstein, M., Chang, A., Kaur, T., Yuen, J., Tintori, S. C., Jackson, J. L., Martel, A., Salome Correa, J. A., Stevens, L., Kiontke, K., Blaxter, M., & Rockman, M. V. (2022). Caenorhabditis nematodes colonize ephemeral resource patches in neotropical forests. Ecology and Evolution, 12, e9124.
Noble, L. M., Yuen, J., Stevens, L., Moya, N., Persaud, R., Moscatelli, M., ... & Rockman, M. V. (2021). Selfing is the safest sex for Caenorhabditis tropicalis. Elife, 10, e62587.
Hwang, G. R., Yuen, J.G., & Ju, J. (2021). Roles of microRNAs in Gastrointestinal Cancer Stem Cell Resistance and Therapeutic Development. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(4), 1624.
