Ya-Ting Chang

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT YA-TING CHANG

Professionally, I am a medical technician, yeast geneticist, and molecular biologist by training. The past projects I have involved in include Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced carcinogenesis and the role of telomere maintenance in aging. From a disease prevention point of view, my research of HCV pathogenesis in human-provided a new insight into how HCV viral protein hijacks the cellular pathway Wnt/beta-catenin signaling to promote cancer development. The major contribution of my Ph.D. research is to elucidate how telomere structure is maintained during the DNA replication process. Loss of telomere DNA leads to cell death and aging. Telomere-bound proteins exert the major protection and function of the telomere. Understanding the detailed mechanism of telomere maintenance helps to develop not only the therapeutic strategies of preventing the early aging process in adults and treating aging-related genetic diseases but also the better treatment with telomerase positive cancer cells. With all my training in basic research for finding the fundamental principles of life, I believe that translating the knowledge to the clinical application on human and public health is an essential task. My goal will be pursing clinical treatment using research knowledge from basic science. Precision medicine will be the future of healthcare. Using the most pioneering genome information to diagnose the diseases will provide the best treatment for the patients.Personally, I am a passionate researcher who asks questions, search for answers tirelessly, and is completely driven by curiosity. There is nothing but multiple disciplinary environments more attractive to me when my eagerness for answers is accelerating. Collaboration with different experts and exchange of ideas are the most enjoyable interaction in the scientific research process. Learning science and doing research is my life as a whole. Science, my true love, so to speak.