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protein structures and brain images
Biophysics
Yaqiang Wang, PhD

Yaqiang Wang, PhD

Assistant Professor

Locations

  • Biophysics
  • MFRC 2071

Contact Information

General Interests

RNA structure, recognition, function, and RNA-targeted therapeutics

Education

PhD, Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2012
MS, Radiophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China, 2007
BA, Chemistry, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, 2004
Wang Lab Website

Biography

I received my BS in chemistry from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, and MS in radiophysics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I earned my PhD in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a focus on protein biophysics and the development of in-cell NMR techniques. For my postdoctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles, I specialized in the structural biology of RNA and ribonucleoprotein complexes, utilizing both NMR spectroscopy and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). In 2021, I joined Arrakis Therapeutics as a Principal Scientist, leading structural biology efforts aimed at targeting pathogenic RNAs. In July 2025, I joined the Medical College of Wisconsin as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biophysics and Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Research Interests

My research centers on RNA structure and recognition to advance RNA-targeted therapeutics for cancer and related diseases.

RNA Structural Biology
We determine high-resolution structures of disease-associated noncoding RNAs—both alone and in complex with proteins or small molecules—using an integrative structural biology approach. Our methods include cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and biochemical assays.

RNA Recognition by Proteins or Small Molecules in Disease
We investigate how RNA-binding proteins and small molecules recognize pathogenic RNAs to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying RNA-driven diseases. Our goal is to understand these interactions in detail and harness this knowledge to inform the design of more effective RNA-targeted therapeutics.

RNA Dynamics and Mechanism
We study the conformational flexibility and dynamic behavior of RNAs to reveal how RNA motions influence molecular recognition, biological function, and disease processes.

Structure-Based RNA Therapeutics
We develop and characterize small molecules and antisense oligonucleotides that selectively bind to structured RNAs or disrupt toxic RNA–protein interactions, aiming to inform and advance RNA-targeted drug discovery.

Publications

Publications of Yaqiang Wang PhD from the Faculty Collaboration Database

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