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Recognition and Achievements

• NUS Presidential Young Professorship, NUS, 2023

• Josef Fried Chemical Biology Award, The University of Chicago, 2021

• Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, 2020

• Windt Graduate Student Travel Award, The University of Chicago, 2019

• Martha Ann and Joseph A. Chenicek Graduate Research Fellowship, The University of Chicago, 2017

• Academic Innovation Award (only undergraduate awardee in the department), Peking University, 2014

• First Prize in the 9th National Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory Tournament, Peking University, 2014

• Outstanding Freshman Scholarship, Peking University, 2011

• Member of the Chinese National Training Team for the 43rd International Chemistry Olympiad, Peking University, 2011

• Gold Medal in the 24th National Chemistry Olympiad Winter Camp, 2011

Research Interests

• RNA at the Nexus of Genetic Information Flow: We investigate the intricate interaction of RNA modifications with epigenetic mechanisms across various biological contexts, and probe the potential inheritability of epigenetic effects caused by RNA modifications, especially in repeat RNAs and small RNAs like tRFs. We uncover novel translational prospects in human diseases and animal/plant development by harnessing the RNA-centric regulatory framework.

• Advancing Precision Medicine through RNA Modifications: We examine how RNA modifications and their associated effectors respond to cellular signaling pathways, external stimuli, and drug treatment, and search for instances of synthetic lethality between specific biological processes and distinct RNA modifications. We explore therapeutic implications and synergistic effects by co-targeting these pathways with RNA modifications, paving the way for precision medicine approaches.

• Pioneering Next-Generation RNA Technologies: We seek methodologies that can profile RNA attributes, including modifications, structures, interactions, and condensations, with low input, high resolution, and accurate quantification. We develop novel chemical/biophysical tools to modulate local RNA properties, thereby controlling local transcription (including chromatin reprogramming) and protein translation through site-specific editing of RNA modifications or small RNA.

Representative Publications

• J. Wei; X. Yu; L. Yang; X. Liu; B. Gao; B. Huang; X. Dou; J. Liu; Z. Zou; X.-L. Cui; L.-S. Zhang; X. Zhao; Q. Liu; P. C. He; C. Sepich-Poore; N. Zhong; W. Liu; Y. Li; X. Kou; Y. Zhao; Y. Wu, X. Cheng; C. Chen; Y. An; X. Dong; H. Wang; Q. Shu; Z. Hao; T. Duan; Y.-Y. He; X. Li; S. Gao; Y. Gao; C. He, FTO mediates LINE1 m⁶A demethylation and chromatin regulation in mESCs and mouse development. Science 2022, 376, 968-973. [ESI Highly Cited Paper] [Featured by UChicago News] [Highlighted by Nat. Genet., Nat. Chem. Biol., and Sig. Transduct. Target Ther.] [Recommended by Faculty Opinions]

• Wei; F. Liu; Z. Lu; Q. Fei; Y. Ai; P. Cody. He; H. Shi; X.-L. Cui; R. Su; A. Klungland; G. Jia; J. Chen; C. He, Differential m⁶A, m⁶A_m, and m¹A demethylation mediated by FTO in cell nucleus and cytoplasm. Mol. Cell 2018, 71, 973-985. [ESI Highly Cited Paper]

• C. He; J. Wei; X. Dou; B. T. Harada; Z. Zhang; R. Ge; C. Liu; L.-S. Zhang; X. Yu; S. Wang; R. Lyu; Z. Zou; M. Chen; C. He, Exon architecture controls mRNA m⁶A suppression and gene expression. Science 2023, 379, 677-682. [Featured by EurekAlert!, Phys.org, AZoLifeSciences, Labroots, News AZI, and UChicago News]

• Zhang; J. Wei; R. Sun; H. Sheng; K. Yin; Y. Pan; R. Jimenez; S. Chen; X.-L. Cui; Z. Zou; Z. Yue; M. J. Emich; J. R. Hawse; L. Wang; H. H. He; S. Xia; B. Han; C. He; H. Huang, A lncRNA from the FTOlocus acts as an inhibitor of the m⁶A writer complex and p53 tumor suppression signaling. Mol. Cell 2023, 83, 2692-2708.

• Zou; J. Wei; Y. Chen; Y. Kang; H. Shi; F. Yang; S. Chen; Y. Zhou; C. Sepich-Poore; X. Zhuang; X. Zhou; H. Jiang; Z. Wen; P. Jin; C. Luo; C. He, FMRP phosphorylation modulates neuronal translation through YTHDF1. under revision in Mol. Cell (bioRxiv, doi: 10.1101/2022.11.29.518448).