Richard A. Young

Richard A. Young
Born Richard Allen Young
(1954-03-12) March 12, 1954
Pittsburgh, PA
Nationality American
Fields Genetics, Genomics and Molecular Biology
Institutions
Alma mater
  • Indiana University (BS)
  • Yale University (PhD)
Notable awards

Richard Allen Young (born March 12, 1954) is an American geneticist, a Member of Whitehead Institute, and a professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[1] He is a pioneer in the systems biology of gene control who has developed genomics technologies and concepts key to understanding gene control in human health and disease. He has served as an advisor to the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and numerous scientific societies and journals.[1] He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences[1] and Scientific American has recognized him as one of the top 50 leaders in science, technology and business.[2]

Research

Young has made major contributions to the understanding of gene control in human development and disease. He discovered that a small set of human embryonic stem cell master transcription factors form a core regulatory circuitry that controls the gene expression program of these cells.[3] This model provided a foundation for the reprogramming experiments of Shinya Yamanaka.[4] This concept of core regulatory circuitry helps guide current efforts to understand gene control, to develop reprogramming protocols for other human cell types and to understand how gene dysregulation contributes to disease.[5]

Young has introduced the concept of transcriptional amplification and described how much of the gene control program in cancer cells is amplified by oncogenic transcription factors such as c-MYC.[6] According to Young, most genes experience transcription initiation,[7] but it is the control of transcription elongation that plays key roles in cell control in health and disease.[8]

Young discovered that large clusters of gene control elements, called super-enhancers, regulate genes that play prominent roles in cell identity.[9] Furthermore, Young showed that disease-associated human genome variation occurs frequently in these super-enhancers[10] and that cancer cell super-enhancers are especially vulnerable to certain transcriptional drugs.[11]

Selected Publications

Other Activities

Young is also an educator, entrepreneur and aviator. He teaches two graduate courses at MIT, "Cell Biology: Structure and Functions of the Nucleus" and "Topics of Mammalian Development and Genetics", and guest lectures at numerous universities and research institutes worldwide.[12][13][14] Young has founded and advised companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Syros Pharmaceuticals. He holds a commercial pilot license and is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Whitehead Member Richard Young elected to National Academy of Sciences". Whitehead Institute News Office. May 1, 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "Scientific American 50: SA 50 Winners and Contributors". Scientific American. November 12, 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Boyer, LA; Lee, TI; Cole, MF; Johnstone, SE; Levine, SS; Zucker, JP; Guenther, MG; Kumar, RM; Murray, HL; Jenner, RG; Gifford, DK; Melton, DA; Jaenisch, R; Young, RA (23 September 2005). "Core transcriptional regulatory circuitry in human embryonic stem cells.". Cell 122 (6): 947–56. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2005.08.020. PMC 3006442. PMID 16153702.
  4. ↑ Takahashi, K; Yamanaka, S (25 August 2006). "Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors.". Cell 126 (4): 663–76. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2006.07.024. PMID 16904174.
  5. ↑ Lee, TI; Young, RA (2013). "Transcriptional regulation and its misregulation in disease". Cell 152 (152): 1237–1251. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.02.014. PMC 3640494. PMID 23498934.
  6. ↑ Lin, CY; Lovén, J; Rahl, PB; Paranal, RM; Burge, CB; Bradner, JE; Lee, TI; Young, RA (28 September 2012). "Transcriptional amplification in tumor cells with elevated c-Myc". Cell 151 (1): 56–67. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.08.026. PMC 3462372. PMID 23021215.
  7. ↑ Guenther, MG; Levine, SS; Boyer, LA; Jaenisch, R; Young, RA (13 July 2007). "A chromatin landmark and transcription initiation at most promoters in human cells.". Cell 130 (1): 77–88. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2007.05.042. PMID 17632057.
  8. ↑ Rahl, PB; Lin, CY; Seila, AC; Flynn, RA; McCuine, S; Burge, CB; Sharp, PA; Young, RA (30 April 2010). "c-Myc regulates transcriptional pause release.". Cell 141 (3): 432–45. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2010.03.030. PMC 2864022. PMID 20434984.
  9. ↑ Whyte, WA; Orlando, DA; Hnisz, D; Abraham, BJ; Lin, CY; Kagey, MH; Rahl, PB; Lee, TI; Young, RA (11 April 2013). "Master transcription factors and mediator establish super-enhancers at key cell identity genes.". Cell 153 (2): 307–19. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.03.035. PMC 3653129. PMID 23582322.
  10. ↑ Hnisz, D; Abraham, BJ; Lau, A; Saint-André, V; Sigova, AA; Hoke, HA; Lee, TI; Young, RA (2013). "Super-enhancers in the control of cell identity and disease". Cell 155 (155): 934–947. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.09.053. PMC 3841062. PMID 24119843.
  11. ↑ Lovén, J; Hoke, HA; Lin, CY; Lau, A; Orlando, DA; Vakoc, CR; Bradner, JE; Lee, TI; Young, RA (2013). "Selective inhibition of tumor oncogenes by disruption of super-enhancers". Cell 153: 320–334. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.03.036. PMC 3760967. PMID 23582323.
  12. ↑ "CSHL Keynote: Dr Richard Young, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Mass. Institute of Tech". Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Oct 31, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Roles for Transcriptional Super-Enhancers in Cell Identity and Disease". NIH Center for Information Technology. November 21, 2013.
  14. ↑ "CSHL 2015 Symposium Interview Series with Richard Young". Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. May 30, 2015.

External links

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