Rate My Professor Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan

Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. She earned a B.S. in Pharmacy from Taipei Medical University in 1979, an M.S. in Experimental Pathology from Drexel University in 1981, and a Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology from Drexel University in 1983. Wan began her academic career at the University of California, Los Angeles, advancing from Assistant Professor to Full Professor in the Department of Pathology between 1989 and 2003. She subsequently served as Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics at the University of Kansas Medical Center from 2003 to 2012, where she also directed the Liver Center and led the Cancer Biology Program. Joining UC Davis in 2012, she held the position of Vice Chair for Research in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine until 2024 and was promoted to University Distinguished Professor in 2022, the highest academic rank in the University of California system.

Wan’s research investigates metabolic liver disease, carcinogenesis, treatment, and prevention, with a focus on nuclear receptor-regulated pathways in metabolism and detoxification, as well as the diet-gut-liver axis. Her laboratory developed the first hepatocyte-specific retinoid X receptor α-deficient mouse model in 2000 and has identified non-invasive biomarkers in urine, serum, and fecal samples that predict metabolic stress leading to inflammation and carcinogenesis. She and her collaborators have designed novel nano-drugs targeting shortages of specific metabolites in liver and colon cancers. Wan has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, including highly cited works such as “Hepatocyte-specific mutation establishes retinoid X receptor α as a heterodimeric integrator of multiple physiological processes in the liver” (Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2000, 279 citations) and “Retinoid pathway and cancer therapeutics” (Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2010, 469 citations). Her contributions include continuous service on NIH Study Section Review Panels since 2000, mentorship of over 200 researchers, and roles as Associate Editor of Biomarker Research since 2012 and editor for nine other journals. Awards include the UC Davis School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Excellence (2021), Outstanding Alumni Award from Taipei Medical University (2016), and Chancellor’s Club Research Award (2010).