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Dr Yun Fan
Applications accepted all year round
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Birmingham
United Kingdom
Biochemistry
Cancer Biology
Cell Biology
Developmental Biology
Genetics
Molecular Biology
About the Project
In multi-cellular organisms, coordinated cell death (e.g. apoptosis) and cell replacement is critical for tissue recovery in response to stress or damage. Although there is not much known about this process at the cellular and molecular level, recent studies including ours have discovered that apoptotic cells can actively induce compensatory proliferation of surrounding cells through a non-apoptotic function of caspases, a family of cysteine-proteases that normally execute apoptosis. This research aims to dissect the molecular anatomy of compensatory cell proliferation following activation of apoptosis. By taking advantages of Drosophila as a model organism, we have developed unique assays to systematically identify and characterize regulators of compensatory cell proliferation. Because apoptosis-induced compensatory cell proliferation has been observed in tissue regeneration and tumorigenesis in multiple organisms including mammals, identification of its underlying regulatory mechanisms in Drosophila will significantly impact our understanding of its physiological role in tissue repair as well as its pathological role in multiple human diseases including cancer.
State-of-the-art technologies in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Advanced Microscopy Imaging and Drosophila Genetics are employed in this research.
Please provide a brief summary of your research experience when making inquiries or registering interest via FindAPhD. Alternatively, you can email the project's lead supervisor directly with a CV outlining your education and relevant practical experience.
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Please find additional funding text below. For further funding details, please see the ‘Funding’ section.
The School of Biosciences offers a number of UK Research Council (e.g. BBSRC MIBTP, https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mibtp/index.aspx) PhD studentships each year. Fully funded research council studentships are available to both UK nationals and overseas students. The deadline for applications for research council studentships is typically in early January each year.
Each year we also have a number of fully funded Darwin Trust Scholarships. These are provided by the Darwin Trust of Edinburgh and are for non-UK students wishing to undertake a PhD in the general area of Molecular Microbiology. The deadline for this scheme is also typically in early January each year.
Funding Notes
All applicants should indicate in their applications how they intend to fund their studies. We have a thriving community of international PhD students and encourage applications at any time from students able to find their own funding or who wish to apply for their own funding (e.g. Commonwealth Scholarship, Islamic Development Bank).
The postgraduate funding database provides further information on funding opportunities available at: View Website
Applications to our competitive funding are normally closed in early January each year. Applicants with their own funding are welcome to apply at any time but must go through the same selection process. Please contact the project's lead supervisor for further information.
References
1) Farrell L, Puig-Barbe A, Haque MI, Amcheslavsky A, Yu M, Bergmann A and Fan Y. (2022) Actin remodeling mediates ROS production and JNK activation to drive apoptosis-induced proliferation. PLoS Genetics 18(12): e1010533.
2) Fan Y.*, Wang S., Hernandez J., Yenigun V.B., Hertlein G., Fogarty C.E., Lindblad J.L. and Bergmann A.* (2014) A model for identification of genes involved in apoptosis-induced proliferation in Drosophila. PLoS Genetics 10(1): e1004131. (*corresponding authors)
3) Fan, Y., and Bergmann, A. (2008) Distinct mechanisms of apoptosis-induced compensatory proliferation in proliferating and differentiating tissues in the Drosophila eye. Dev Cell 14, 399-410.
2) Fan Y.*, Wang S., Hernandez J., Yenigun V.B., Hertlein G., Fogarty C.E., Lindblad J.L. and Bergmann A.* (2014) A model for identification of genes involved in apoptosis-induced proliferation in Drosophila. PLoS Genetics 10(1): e1004131. (*corresponding authors)
3) Fan, Y., and Bergmann, A. (2008) Distinct mechanisms of apoptosis-induced compensatory proliferation in proliferating and differentiating tissues in the Drosophila eye. Dev Cell 14, 399-410.
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Career overview
Dr Yun Fan is an Associate Professor in Cell and Developmental Genetics at the School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham. He was initially trained as a molecular biologist in China and completed his PhD in Neurobiology at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland, in 2005. Dr Fan also holds a Master of Science from Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, obtained in 2001, and a Bachelor of Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, completed in 1998. Following his doctoral studies, Dr Fan worked at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the United States. His research during this period focused on the regulation of programmed cell death (apoptosis) and its associated compensatory cell proliferation. Dr Fan''s research interests centre on understanding how cell death, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation are coordinated to maintain tissue homeostasis, which has significant implications for cancer development and tissue regeneration. Dr Fan has held various academic positions, including Research Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School from 2011 to 2012, and Instructor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2009 to 2011. He was also a Postdoctoral Fellow at the same institution from 2006 to 2009. Dr Fan is an Associate Fellow recognised by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and is actively involved in teaching and supervising postgraduate research projects. His research is supported by the EU FP7 Marie Curie Actions and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in the UK.
Research interests
Dr Fan''s research focuses on understanding the coordination of cell death, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation to maintain tissue homeostasis, which has significant implications for cancer development and tissue regeneration. His work investigates the molecular control of cell death and the communication between dying cells and their neighbours to sustain tissue homeostasis. Dr Fan studies both apoptosis and necrosis, exploring how cells respond to stresses and the genetic regulation of necrosis. He employs Drosophila as a model organism to dissect the molecular mechanisms behind these processes, including apoptosis-induced compensatory cell proliferation, which is crucial for tissue recovery and can contribute to tumour development under pathological conditions. His long-term research goal is to elucidate the relevance of apoptosis-induced proliferation in tissue regeneration and tumourigenesis.
Cell Death
Cell Proliferation
Cell Differentiation
Tissue Homeostasis
Cancer Development
Tissue Regeneration
Apoptosis
Compensatory Cell Proliferation
Necrosis
Molecular Regulation
Drosophila Model
Genetic Pathways
Tumour Suppression
Neurodegenerative Disorders
Inflammatory Diseases
Stress-Induced Cell Communication
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