Dr. Rui received her Ph.D. from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where she mainly focused on elucidating the signaling pathways that are related to development. She published her graduate research work as first authors in multiple prestigious journals including two papers in Developmental Cell and one in EMBO Journal. In pursuit of her Ph.D., she received the Graduate Student Research Award, an honor given to an exceptionally productive junior researcher. She completed her initial post-doctoral training in genetics by working with Dr. Norbert Perrimon, a HHMI Investigator at Harvard Medical School. Her research work, which listed her as a corresponding author, was published in PLoS Genetics. Later, she focused on dissecting the molecular mechanism of selective autophagy, a fundamental cellular pathway essential for preserving homeostasis that has been linked to a variety of human diseases. She discovered the first mammalian scaffold protein for selective autophagy and first-authored an article in Nature Cell Biology detailing this finding, She also developed a new approach for monitoring proteotoxicity-induced selective autophagy, which she outlined in a publication of Autophagy. Her extraordinary research productivity has been recognized by the research committee in McGovern Medical School, and she received the Dean’s Excellence in Postdoctoral Research Award. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and focuses on dissecting the role of autophagy/selective autophagy in cerebrovascular diseases.

I am Yanning Rui, PhD, originally from China. I earned my PhD from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology before pursuing postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and UTHealth. Following my postdoctoral work, I joined the Department of Neurosurgery as an Assistant Professor. My current research primarily focuses on investigating the molecular mechanisms of intracranial aneurysms.

Working in collaboration with neurosurgeons in our department sparked my interest in brain aneurysm research. Our team has identified several genes associated with brain aneurysms from patients’ samples via next generation sequencing. Currently, we are developing knockout and knock-in animal models to deepen our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and to establish a platform for evaluating drug efficacy.

Our project seeks to test the novel hypothesis that TBK1-mediated FA-phagy contributes to the development of intracranial aneurysm.

If our hypothesis proves correct, we aim to translate our findings from the animal models into clinical treatments for patients with brain aneurysms. Currently, several compounds known to inhibit TBK1 activity, some already FDA-approved, offer potential avenues for anti-FA-phagy therapy in brain aneurysm treatment, holding significant promise for patients.

The funding is important for my research in several ways: Firstly, it will support my research team in testing our new ideas using a mouse model of brain aneurysms. Secondly, as a junior researcher, receiving this award would demonstrate recognition of our work among peers, boosting our chances for future extramural grants. Lastly, it would enable me to participate in brain aneurysm meetings, where I can exchange ideas with colleagues that share the same goals. This collaboration will inspire further progress in developing new treatments for patients with this condition.