Dr. Xuefeng Yang is professor of Dept. of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology (HUST). She graduated with a major in Preventive Medicine in 1998 and received her PhD in 2005 from Tongji Medical College. Dr. Yang’s research is mainly focused on the relationship between dietary branched chain amino acids and the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes and the underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro studies. She also investigates the associations between dietary factors, genetic variations and metabolic biomarkers and pregnancy outcomes based on the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort. She has published over 20 original papers (10 of them published in SCI-collected journals including Mol Nutr Food Res, J Biol Chem, J Endocrinol, Br J Nutr and Reprod Toxicol).

Education

1993/09-1998/07   Bachelor’s Degree of Medicine

The Faculty of Preventive Medicine
Tongji Medical University

1998/09-2001/07   Master’s Degree of Medicine

Dept. Of Nutrition and Food Hygine
School of Public Health
Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology

2002/09-2005/07   Doctoral Degree of Medicine

Dept. Of Nutrition and Food Hygine
School of Public Health
Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Languages

Chinese, English

Work Experience

2001/07-2003/11   Teaching Assistant

Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene
School of Public Health
Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology

2003/07-2007/11   Assistant Professor

Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene
School of Public Health
Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology

2007/12-2014/11   Associate Professor

Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene
School of Public Health
Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology

2010/12-2012/06   Post-doctoral research fellow

Department of Nutrition
The Gillings School of Global Public Health
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
North Carolina,USA

2014/12-Present   Professor

Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene
School of Public Health
Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Studies and Previous Research Funding

1. The effect of alcohol on the insulin sensitivity and relationship with the type 2 diabetes, supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC). From 2004/01 to 2006/12(Co-PI)

2. The nutritional regulation of adiponectin and its receptor, supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC). From 2006/01 to 2008/12(Co-PI)

3. Measurement and risk assessment of several endocrine disruptors in rivers and lakes of Wuhan, funded by the Key Project of Science and Technology of Hubei Province. From 2007/01 to 2009/12(PI)

4. Determination of the vitamin A requirements in Chinese children by a new nutritional evaluation technique, supported by the Key Projects in the National Science and Technology Pillar Program during Eleventh-five Year Plan Period. From 2008/12 to 2010/12. (Co-PI for the sub-topic project, 780,000 RMB)

5. The effects of dietary leucine supplementation on the insulin resistance and underlied mechanisms involving mTOR pathway, funded by The National Natural Science Foundation of China(NNSFC). From 2009/01-2011/12(PI)

6. The molecular mechanism study on the prevention of insulin resistance by leucine in skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes, funded by the Key Project of Science and Technology of Wuhan. From 2008/01 to 2010/12(PI)

Present Active Research Programs

1. Investigation of Maternal and child health and physical constants. Supported by National Program on Basic Research Project of China. From 2013/06 to 2016/06. (Co-PI for the sub-topic project, 1,000,000 RMB).

2. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by modulating mitochondrial function with leucine. funded by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC). From 2014/01-2017/12(PI)

3. A prospective study of the dietary cholesterol intake and cholesterol metabolic biomarkers during pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: funded by Danone institute nutrition and health.From 2015/01-2016/06(PI)

Career Goals

1. The toxicological evaluation of excess iodine intake

2. The relationship between the branched chain amino acids and insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes and the underlying mechanisms with techniques of experimental biology

3. Nutrition and dietary intakes related to maternal and child health in cohort

4. The interaction between dietary factors and genetic factors, biomarkers in the development gestational diabetes in maternal-infant cohort

i- Publications in peer-reviewed journals (in English)

1. Yang X, Xu J, Hou XH,.Guo HL, Hao LP, Yao P, Liu LG, Sun XF Development toxicity and teratogenicity induced by maternal chronic excessive iodine exposure in mice. Reprod Toxicol, 2006, 22(4): 725-730.

2. Yang X, Hou XH, Xu J,Guo HL, Ying CJ, Chen XY,Sun XF. Effect of selenium supplementation on the activity and mRNA expression of type 1 deiodinase in excessive iodine intake mice. Biomed Environ Sci, 2006, 19(4): 302-308.

3. Yang X, Xu J, Guo HL, Hou XH, Hao LP, Liu LG, Sun XF. Effect of excessive iodine exposure on the placental deiodinase activities and Hoxc8 expression during mouse embryogenesis. Br J Nutr, 2007, 98(1):116-122.

4. Yang X, Zhang Y, Lin J, Pen A, Ying Ch, Cao W, Mao L. A lower ratio of dietary saturated/monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces the expression of adiponectin in rats fed a high-fat diet. Nutr Res., 2012, 32, 4:285-291.

5. Li X, Wang X, Liu R, Ma Y, Guo H, Hao L, Yao P, Liu L, Sun X, He K, Cao W, Yang X*, Chronic leucine supplementation increases body weight and insulin sensitivity in rats on high-fat diet likely by promoting insulin signaling in insulin-target tissues, Mol Nutr Food Res., 2013, 57(6):1067-1079.

6. Yang X*#, Mei S, Wang X, Li X, Liu R, Ma Y, Hao L, Yao P, Liu L, Sun X, Gu H, Liu Z, Cao W*.Leucine facilitates insulin signaling through a Gαi protein-dependent signaling pathway in hepatocytes, J Biol Chem., 2013, 288(13):9313-9320.

7. Mei S#, Yang X#, Guo H, Gu H, Zha L, Cai J, Li X, Liu Z, Bennett BJ, He L, Cao W, A small amount of dietary carbohydrate can promote the HFD-induced insulin resistance to a maximal level, PLoS One., 2014, 9(7):e100875.

8. Liu H , Liu R, Xiong Y, Li X , Wang X , Ma Y , Guo H , Hao L , Yao P , Liu L , Wang D and Yang X*, Leucine facilitates the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and insulin signaling in skeletal muscle cells: involving mTORC1 and mTORC2, Amino Acids, 2014 , 46(8):1971-1979.

9. Yang X#, Mei S#, Gu H, Guo H, Zha L, Cai J, Li X, Liu Z, Cao W*. Exposure to Excess insulin (glargine) induces type 2 diabetes mellitus in mice on chow diet, J Endocrinol., 2014, 221(3): 469-480.

10. Zhang H, Qiu X, Zhong C, Zhang K, Xiao M, Yi N, Xiong G, Wang J, Yao J, Wei S, Hao L, Yang N, Yang X*，Reproducibility and relative validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for Chinese pregnant women, Nutr J, 2015,14: 56-66.

English books

Developmental effects of toxic doses of iodine. In: Victor R. Preedy, Gerard N. Burrow and Ronald Watson, editors, Comprehensive Handbook of Iodine. Oxford: Academic Press, 2009, pp 855-864.

ii- Abstracts and Presentations( in English)

1. Zeng J, Yao P, Xu J, Li Zh, Tang G, Cao W, Sun X, Yang X *. Establishment of vitamin A requirement for Chinese children. The FASEB Journal. 2012, 26,118.6 , Experimental Biology 2012 Meeting, SanDiego, April 21-24, 2012,Oral presentation

2. Xiaolei Wang, Yan ma, Rui Liu, X Yang*. Chronic leucine supplementation increases insulin sensitivity in rats on high-fat diet by improving insulin signaling pathway. The 3rd Cross-strait Nutrition Conference, HongKong, Sept 28-30, 2012, Oral presentation

3. Hui Liu, Xiang Li, Xiaolei Wang, Yan Ma, Liping Hao, Ping Yao, Wang Di, Xiufa Sun and X Yang*. Leucine promotes insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by facilitating insulin signaling in skeletal muscle cells: involving mTORC1 and mTORC2.The 14th International Conference on Combined Actions and Combined Effects of Environmental Factors (ICCEF). Wuhan, Oct 13-16, 2013, Oral presentation.

iii- Publications in refereed journals (in Chinese)

1. Yang X, Hou XH, Pang H, Zhang XZ, Qi ZY, Yu D, Sun XF. Influence of high iodine intake on anti-oxidation ability in mice and intervention of selenium. Chinese Journal of Public Health, 2004, 20(9):1081-1082.

2. Yang X, Sun XF, Hou XH, Xu J, Guo HL, Yu D. Influence of selenium supplementation on the hepatic selenoenzyme of high iodine intake mice. Acta Nutrimenta Sinica, 2005, 27(4): 300-302.

3. Yang X, Hou XH, Xu J, Guo HL, Chen XY ,Sun XF. Effects of chronic excessive iodine intake on the maternal-fetal thyroid hormone metabolism. Chinese Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006, 22(6):532-534.

4. Yang X, Hou XH, Xu J,Hou XH, Chen XY, Sun XF. Effects of different levels of excessive iodine intake on the embryo development in mice. Journal of Toxicology, 2006, 20(5):288-290.

5. Yang X, Pang H, Xu J, Guo HL, Hou XH, Chen XY, Sun XF. Effect of excessive iodine exposure on the serum TC and TG level in rats. Journal of Hygiene Research, 2006, 35(1): 108-110.

6. Liu R, Hao L, Li X, Ma J, Liu H, Yang X. The effects of leucine on the glucose uptake and AKT expression in primary rat skeletal muscle cells. Acta Nutrimenta Sinica,2011, 33(1):1-9.

7. Ma Y, Li X, Liu R, Wang X, Hao L, Yang X. The effects of leucine on the insulin sensitivity in rats on high-fat diet.Acta Nutrimenta Sinica, 2012, 34(6):545-548.

References

Liegang Liu, PhD

Professor ,Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene
Vice Dean of School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, P. R. China.
Tel.: 86-27-83650523
E-mail: liuliegang@mails.tjmu.edu.cn

Xiufa Sun

Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene
School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, P. R. China
Tel.: 86-27-83693307
E-mail: sunxf@mails.tjmu.edu.cn