Email

yunpingl@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor

Molecular and Cellular Biology
Center for Precision Environment Health
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US

Education

PhD from Fudan University

Shanghai, Shanghai China

Professional Statement

My research interest is focused on understanding the genetic etiology of complex congenital malformations, and those gene-environment interactions that contribute to birth defects, especially neural related birth defects. I obtained my Ph.D. in genetic epidemiology from Fudan University in 2010, and received postdoctoral training in molecular genetics at The University of Texas at Austin. From June 2013, I became a Research Scientist at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Pediatric Research Institute. The proposed research project will take advantage of next-gen DNA sequencing technology, as well as latest genome edition technologies. I am familiar with most frontline technologies in genetics, molecular biology and cellular biology such as next generation sequencing, Sanger sequencing, cloning, cell culture, histology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blotting, co-immunoprecipation and other major techniques. I am also experienced in genomics, genome editing, genetic epidemiology and bioinformatics, which is required in the study design and data analysis for the proposed research program.

Selected Publications

• Zhongzhong Chen*, Yunping Lei*, Yufang Zheng, Vanessa Aguiar-Pulido, M. Elizabeth Ross, Rui Peng, Li Jin, Ting Zhang, Richard Finnell, Hongyan Wang "Threshold for Neural Tube Defect Risk by Accumulated Singleton Loss-of-function Variants." Cell Res. 2018 Jul 5; Pubmed PMID: 29976953
• Kim J*, Lei Y*, Guo J, Kim SE, Wlodarczyk BJ, Cabrera RM, Lin YL, Nilsson TK, Zhang T, Ren A, Wang L, Yuan Z, Zheng YF, Wang HY, Finnell RH "Formate rescues neural tube defects caused by mutations in Slc25a32." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 May 1;115(18):4690-4695. Pubmed PMID: 29666258
• Lu HC, Tan Q, Rousseaux MW, Wang W, Kim JY, Richman R, Wan YW, Yeh SY, Patel JM, Liu X, Lin T, Lee Y, Fryer JD, Han J, Chahrour M, Finnell RH, Lei Y, et al. "Disruption of the ATXN1-CIC complex causes a spectrum of neurobehavioral phenotypes in mice and humans." Nat Genet. 2017 Apr;49(4):527-536. Pubmed PMID: 28288114
• Lei YP, Zhang T, Li H, Wu BL, Jin L, Wang HY "VANGL2 mutations in human cranial neural-tube defects." N Engl J Med. 2010 Jun 10;362(23):2232-2235. Pubmed PMID: 20558380

Projects

Intervention Strategies for Non-Folate Responsive Neural Tube Defects

NIH (02/2016 - 01/2025)

Memberships

Teratology Society

(10/2012)

American Society of Human Genetics

(05/2012)

Funding

Folic Acid, Parental Mutation Rates and the Risk for Neural Tube Defects - #HD081216-01A1

(06/01/2016 - 05/31/2020) Grant funding from NIH

Role of Slc25a32 and Its Interaction with Lrp6 in the Etiology of Neural Tube - #R01HD100535

(03/10/2020 - 02/28/2025) Grant funding from NIH