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Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell type in the adult brain and interact extensively with neurons, vascular cells, and immune cells, positioning them as key regulators of brain function in both physiological and pathological contexts. The overarching goal of my laboratory is to define how astrocyte dysfunction drives neurological disease, with a particular emphasis on malignant glioma. Glioma is the most lethal primary brain tumor and remains a major clinical challenge. Notably, many astrocyte programs that normally support brain development and injury repair are co-opted by glioma to promote malignant progression. By integrating neuroscience with cancer biology, our lab seeks to elucidate how normal brain repair pathways in astrocytes are rewired during tumor growth using advanced mouse glioma models, multi-omics technologies, cross-species analyses, and high-resolution imaging

Defining the role of tumor-associated astrocytes in regulating vascular function and leveraging this knowledge to enhance brain penetrance of anticancer therapeutics.

Determining the temporal and spatial roles of tumor-associated astrocytes in lipid metabolism and their implications for dietary and pharmacologic interventions.

Elucidating pH-dependent, tumor-intrinsic signaling pathways regulated by tumor-associated astrocytes.

Open Positions

Postdoctoral Associate

The Ye Lab is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to join our team and contribute to an NIH-funded project focused on understanding how glioma hijacks the tumor microenvironment to drive malignant progression. Our research lies at the intersection of glial biology and brain cancer, with a particular emphasis on malignant glioma, the most aggressive form of primary brain tumor. The successful candidate will investigate the role of astrocytes—one of the most abundant and functionally diverse types of glial cells—in glioma progression and their modulation of the tumor microenvironment. 

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