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Dr. Xufen Yu | Medicinal Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Xufen Yu | Medicinal Chemistry | Associate Professor at Fudan University, China

Dr. Xufen Yu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at Fudan University’s School of Pharmacy. She specializes in drug discovery, chemical biology, and targeted protein degradation, particularly in cancer therapeutics. Before joining Fudan University, she was an Instructor and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she contributed significantly to pharmacological sciences. Dr. Yu has also held postdoctoral positions at Purdue University and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She holds a Ph.D. from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry. Her research has led to numerous high-impact publications in journals such as Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Oncogene, and Nature Cancer. With extensive expertise in PROTAC-based therapeutics and epigenetic regulation, Dr. Yu continues to make significant contributions to the field of medicinal chemistry and targeted cancer therapy.

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Summary of Suitability for Award:

Dr. Xufen Yu is an exceptionally accomplished researcher in medicinal chemistry, with significant contributions to drug discovery, targeted protein degradation, and epigenetics. Her extensive academic background, including a Ph.D. from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and postdoctoral research at prestigious institutions such as Purdue University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, demonstrates her expertise in chemical biology and small-molecule therapeutics. She has consistently advanced the field through high-impact publications, innovative research, and groundbreaking discoveries in PROTACs and DUBTACs, which have transformed targeted cancer therapy.  Given her outstanding achievements, innovative research, and contributions to medicinal chemistry, Dr. Xufen Yu is highly suitable for the “Best Researcher Award”. Her pioneering work in targeted protein degradation, combined with her international recognition and research excellence, makes her a strong candidate. Her research has not only advanced scientific knowledge but also holds significant promise for therapeutic applications, reinforcing her eligibility for this distinguished honor.

🎓Education:

Dr. Xufen Yu earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, in 2011. Her doctoral research focused on synthetic organic chemistry and drug discovery. Prior to that, she completed her undergraduate studies at Anhui University, Hefei, China, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2006. With a strong academic foundation, Dr. Yu developed expertise in medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and targeted protein degradation. Her educational journey equipped her with extensive knowledge of molecular design, synthetic methodologies, and structure-activity relationship studies, laying the groundwork for her future contributions to pharmacological sciences. Her rigorous training in organic synthesis and chemical biology has driven her impactful research in developing novel therapeutics, particularly in targeted protein degradation and epigenetic regulation.

🏢Work Experience:

Dr. Xufen Yu has had a distinguished career in academia and research, with extensive postdoctoral and faculty experience. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Before joining Fudan, she was an Instructor in the Department of Pharmacological Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (2021–2022), following a postdoctoral fellowship at the same institution from 2017 to 2020. She also worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Chemistry at Purdue University (2013–2014) and in Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Hawaii at Hilo (2011–2013). Through these roles, she has contributed significantly to medicinal chemistry, focusing on drug discovery, targeted protein degradation, and cancer therapeutics. Her work across multiple prestigious institutions reflects her expertise in interdisciplinary research, integrating chemistry and pharmacology to develop novel small-molecule therapeutics.

🏅Awards: 

Dr. Xufen Yu has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. She has received multiple awards and research grants for her pioneering work in targeted protein degradation and epigenetics. Her innovative research has been acknowledged with prestigious fellowships and funding from institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Additionally, she has been honored for her significant publications in high-impact journals, receiving accolades for breakthrough studies on PROTACs and epigenetic regulators in cancer therapy. Her commitment to scientific excellence has led to invitations as a speaker at international conferences, where she has shared her expertise in medicinal chemistry. Dr. Yu’s contributions have been instrumental in advancing chemical biology and therapeutic discovery, making her a well-respected figure in her field.

🔬Research Focus:

Dr. Xufen Yu’s research focuses on the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting disease-related proteins, particularly in cancer and metabolic disorders. Her expertise lies in targeted protein degradation, including the design and synthesis of PROTACs (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras) and DUBTACs (Deubiquitinase Targeting Chimeras). She has explored epigenetic regulation in cancer therapy, investigating how small molecules can modulate oncogenic transcription factors and chromatin regulators. Her work also includes studying the role of ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy systems in disease mechanisms, aiming to develop highly selective small-molecule therapeutics. Through interdisciplinary approaches combining medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and pharmacology, she has contributed to advancing targeted cancer treatments. Dr. Yu’s research has led to the discovery of several potent and selective degraders for oncogenic proteins such as EZH2, WDR5, and USP7, paving the way for new treatment modalities in oncology.

Publication Top Notes:

Macrocyclic drugs and synthetic methodologies toward macrocycles
Authors: X Yu, D Sun
Citations: 276
Year: 2013

Glutamine anabolism plays a critical role in pancreatic cancer by coupling carbon and nitrogen metabolism
Authors: AJ Bott, J Shen, C Tonelli, L Zhan, N Sivaram, YP Jiang, X Yu, V Bhatt, …
Citations: 155
Year: 2019

Discovery of potent and selective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) bifunctional small-molecule degraders
Authors: M Cheng, X Yu, K Lu, L Xie, L Wang, F Meng, X Han, X Chen, J Liu, …
Citations: 151
Year: 2020

EZH2 noncanonically binds cMyc and p300 through a cryptic transactivation domain to mediate gene activation and promote oncogenesis
Authors: J Wang, X Yu, W Gong, X Liu, KS Park, A Ma, YH Tsai, Y Shen, T Onikubo, …
Citations: 134
Year: 2022

A selective WDR5 degrader inhibits acute myeloid leukemia in patient-derived mouse models
Authors: X Yu, D Li, J Kottur, Y Shen, HS Kim, KS Park, YH Tsai, W Gong, J Wang, …
Citations: 103
Year: 2021

Discovery of first-in-class protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) degraders
Authors: Y Shen, G Gao, X Yu, H Kim, L Wang, L Xie, M Schwarz, X Chen, …
Citations: 84
Year: 2020

Dose-dependent activation of gene expression is achieved using CRISPR and small molecules that recruit endogenous chromatin machinery
Authors: AM Chiarella, KV Butler, BE Gryder, D Lu, TA Wang, X Yu, S Pomella, …
Citations: 77
Year: 2020

Cationic Palladium Complex Catalyzed Diastereo-and Enantioselective Tandem Annulation of 2-Formylarylboronic Acids with Allenoates
Authors: X Yu, X Lu
Citations: 57
Year: 2009

AKT degradation selectively inhibits the growth of PI3K/PTEN pathway–mutant cancers with wild-type KRAS and BRAF by destabilizing aurora kinase B
Authors: J Xu, X Yu, TC Martin, A Bansal, K Cheung, A Lubin, E Stratikopoulos, …
Citations: 51
Year: 2021

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of potent, selective, and bioavailable AKT kinase degraders
Authors: X Yu, J Xu, L Xie, L Wang, Y Shen, KM Cahuzac, X Chen, J Liu …
Citations: 42
Year: 2021

Dr. Xufen Yu | Medicinal Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

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