Yu Rao

Professor Yu Rao has established himself as a leading figure in pharmaceutical sciences at Tsinghua University, where he focuses on developing novel therapeutics for infectious diseases and cancer treatment. His academic journey began with a BA from Shandong Medical University in 1999 and a master's degree from Shenyang Pharmaceutical University in 2002, followed by a PhD from the University of Georgia under Prof. Geert-Jan Boons in 2007, where he specialized in synthesizing complex oligosaccharides. After completing postdoctoral research at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center under Prof. Samuel J. Danishefsky from 2007-2010, where he focused on bioactive natural products synthesis, he joined Tsinghua University in 2010. His laboratory combines expertise in medicinal chemistry, synthetic chemistry, and chemical biology to develop innovative therapeutic solutions. His research impact is evidenced through numerous publications in prestigious journals including Nature, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Angewandte Chemie, with his work garnering over 5,700 citations. Recent achievements include developing potent synthetic analogues of triterpenoid lanosterol to address protein aggregation in cataracts, demonstrating his commitment to translating chemical insights into therapeutic applications.