Team

Meet Yang Lab members and affiliating collaborators here!

Accessibility, Respect, and Empowerment

The Yang Lab commits to providing accessibility for everyone to embrace scientific research and education and seeks to create an environment that welcomes and respects people and empowers them to conduct creative and innovative research.

Lab members

Xiaoxu Yang, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Human GeneticsInvestigator, Utah Center for Genetic DiscoveryMember, Genomics, Epigenetics, and Metabolism (GEM) Program, Huntsman Cancer InstituteUniversity of Utah
Xiaoxu is a faculty member at the Department of Human Genetics, Utah Center for Genetic Discovery, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. Xiaoxu received his BS in BioScience from Beijing Normal University, PhD in Bioinformatics from the Center for Bioinformatics at Peking University, and his Postdoctoral research experiences at the Department of Neurosciences, University of California, and Rady Children's Institute for Genetic Medicine. Xiaoxu started this lab in 2024 at the University of Utah.
Xiaoxu and colleagues developed computational tools such as DeepMosaic, the first Deep-learning-based mosaic variant caller without a matched control, and MosaicBase, the first non-cancer mosaic variant knowledge base. He also developed experimental methodologies such as PASM (Postzygotic Amplicon Sequencing for Mosaicism), mddPCR (micro-droplet digital PCR), MPAS (Massive Parallel Amplicon Sequencing), and scMPAS (single-nucleus MPAS), and further integrated them into MVBA (Mosaic Variant Barcode Analyses).
Using these technologies he developed, Xiaoxu and colleagues started the study of sperm mosaic mutations causing childhood neurological and psychiatric disorders. He pioneered the research of non-cancer germline and mosaicism in sperm, brain, and multiple human-derived tissues. He found sperm clonal mosaic mutations causing lifelong transmission risk for normal males. Xiaoxu and colleagues also pioneered using mosaic mutations as developmental markers and first described left-right and dorsal inhibitory brain genetic lineages in normal human cortical development. Xiaoxu and team found mosaicism as the cause for multiple human disease such as malformations of cortical development. Read more on Linkedin.

Muhammad Zubair, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Zubair received a bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from Gomal University, Pakistan, and a MS and PhD in Biological Science with Dr. Qinghua Shi from the University of Science and Technology of China, specializing in reproductive genetics. Dr. Zubair's research interest is the mechanisms of male infertility. Read more on Google Scholar.

Xichen Nie, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Nie received a bachelor's degree in life sciences from Sun Yat-sen University, China, and a PhD in oncological sciences with Drs. Brad Cairns and Jingtao Guo at the University of Utah, focusing on reproductive biology. Dr. Nie continued as a Scientific Manager at Paterna Biosciences, specializing in single-cell genomics, germline stem cell biology, and testicular development, before returning to research as a joint Postdoctoral Researcher with Drs. Brad Cairns and Jim Hotaling. Read more on Google Scholar.

Mary L Nelson, PhD

Research Scientist
Dr. Nelson received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Seattle University and a PhD in Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah. Dr. Nelson continued as the Director of InnovaBio and STUDENTfacturED at the Salt Lake Community College and Research Scientist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute before her current position as a research scientist jointly supported by Dr. Mitchell Vollger. Read more on Linkedin.

Xincen Xi, MD, MS

Graduate Researcher
Dr. Xi received a bachelor's degree in Clinical Medicine from Yangzhou University and an MD and an MS in Obstetrics and Gynecology from Tongji University. After residency and clinical practices, Dr. Xi further pursued an MS in Biomedical Informatics at the University of Utah and is now a first-year student in the Molecular Biology PhD program at the University of Utah. Read more on LinkedIn.

Sai Babu Patarlapalli, MS

Bioinformatic Analyst
Sai received a bachelor's degree in Technology from the Godavari Institute of Engineering and Technology, India, as well as a master's degree in Applied Data Science from Clarkson University. Sai worked as Engineer for three years in Panther MotoCrop, ARBL, and Tata Technologies in data analysis, code development, and AI integration across industrial and academic settings. Read more on LinkedIn.

Ava Claire Taylor Mitchell

Undergraduate Researcher
Ava is currently an undergraduate student from the School of Biological Sciences as well as a Summit Climbing Specialist at the University of Utah. Read more on LinkedIn.

Yang Liu

Graduate Researcher
Yang received a bacholar's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of California, San Diego. Yang is currently a joint PhD student at the University of Southern California. Read more on LinkedIn.

Kate Pache, MS

Graduate Researcher
Kate received a master's degree in Physiology and Neurobiology from the University of Connecticut. She is currently a joint PhD student in Embryology at Eastern Virginia Medical School and an Embryologist at the Fertility Specialists Medical Group. Read more on LinkedIn.

Photo Gallery

Alumni

Margot Lockwood, 2025, MBP Rotation Student

Ruben Ratulangi Sundramrti, 2025, summer intern (Current: Undergrad in Psychology at the University of Utah )

Ian Alfred Graham, 2024 - 2025, Lab Specialist (Current: WEMT trainee)

Sang Hyun Lee, 2024 - 2025, Analyst (Current: Graduate student at Johns Hopkins University)

John Prevedel, 2024, MBP Rotation Student (Current: Graduate student in Jamie Gagnon's lab at the University of Utah)

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