Lu-Yang Wang

Dr. Lu-Yang Wang is a Senior Scientist, Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health and currently holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Brain Development & Disorder. He is a Full Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Physiology at University of Toronto. Dr. Wang earned his PhD degree in pharmacology at University of Toronto in 1993 and completed postdoctoral training in neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine before being recruited to SickKids Research Institute as a Scientist, Program in Brain and Behaviors in 1998. Since then, Dr. Wang has established an independent and influential research program focusing on the roles of ion channels, synaptic transmission and plasticity in brain development, disorders and diseases. Dr. Wang was inducted into Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2020.

Research

Information processing and encoding in brain take place via chemical synapses where synaptic transmission and plasticity are crucial for gating sensory and cognitive functions, but inevitably aberrant in neurological disorders and diseases. Mutations of ion channels and synaptic proteins are the most common cause for pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. The Wang Lab has committed their research endeavors to: (A) unravel cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal excitability, synaptic function and morphology in the critical period of brain development; and (B) transform fundamental discoveries into innovative strategies for mitigating and curing brain disorders and diseases. By applying cutting-edge biophysical, computational and molecular approaches to identify novel molecular substrates and specific druggable targets using both mouse models and clinical data sets, they aim to establish roadmaps for developing new molecular medicine for potential clinical interventions of autism spectrum disorder, neonatal neurotoxicity, pediatric epilepsy and brain tumors.

Education and experience

• 2018–Present: Associate Chair (academic), Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2004–Present: Senior Scientist, Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2008–Present: Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2015–2017: Program Head (Interim), Neuroscience and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2010–2017: Director, Neuroscience Platform, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2006–2007: Visiting Professor (sabbatical), Membrane Biophysics, Max Planck Institute, Goettingen, Germany and Neurobiology, Duke University, NC, USA
• 1998–2008: Assistant-Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1998–2004: Scientist, Brain & Behaviours, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 1994–1998: Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuroscience, Yale Univeristy, New Haven, CT, USA
• 1989–1993: PhD, Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Achievements

• 2020: Fellow (elected), Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
• 2019–2026: Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Brain Development & Disorders
• 2019: Association for the Study of Neuron and Diseases Investigator Award
• 2017: The Journal of Neuroscience Outstanding Reviewer
• 2006–2007: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Faculty Visit Award
• 2006–2007: International Human Frontier Science Program Short-Term Fellowship
• 2002–2012: Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Brain & Behavior
• 2001–2004: The Burroughs Wellcome Fund New Investigator Award
• 2000–2003: The EJLB Foundation Scholar Research Program Award
• 1998: Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) New Opportunities Award
• 1998–2003: CIHR New Investigator Scholarship

Editorial board/associate editorship

• The Journal of Neuroscience
• Scientific Reports
• Molecular Brain
• Channels
• Frontier in Molecular Neuroscience
• Frontier in Cellular Neuroscience

1. Lai K, Pritišanac I, Liu ZQ, Liu HW, Gong LN, Li MX, Lu JF, Qi X, Xu TL, Forman-Kay J, Shi HB*, Wang LY*, Yin SK*. Glutamate acts on acid-sensing ion channels to worsen ischaemic brain injury. Nature. 2024 Jul 10. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07684-7.
2. Coupland CE, Karimi R, Bueler SA, Liang Y, Courbon GM, Di Trani JM, Wong CJ, Saghian R, Youn JY, Wang LY, Rubinstein JL. High-resolution electron cryomicroscopy of V-ATPase in native synaptic vesicles. Science. 2024 Jul 12;385(6705):168-174. doi: 10.1126/science.adp5577.
3. Liu HW, Gong LN, Lai K, Yu XF, Liu ZQ, Li MX, Yin XL, Liang M, Shi HS, Jiang LH, Yang W, Shi HB*, Wang LY*, Yin SK*. Bilirubin gates the TRPM2 channel as a direct agonist to exacerbate ischemic brain damage. Neuron. 2023 May 17;111(10):1609-1625.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.022.
4. Yang YM, Arsenault J, Bah A, Krzeminski M, Fekete A, Chao OY, Pacey LK, Wang A, Forman-Kay J, Hampson DR, Wang LY*. Identification of a molecular locus for normalizing dysregulated GABA release from interneurons in the Fragile X brain. Mol Psychiatry. 2020 Sep;25(9):2017-2035. doi: 10.1038/s41380-018-0240-0. 

See a full list of Dr. Wang's publications