• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
Eye Care

UCLA Stein Eye Institute

Eye Care
  • About Us
    • Message from the Chairman
    • UCLA Stein Eye Institute
    • About Stein and Doheny Affiliation
    • Academic Mission
    • Executive Committee
    • Academic Divisions
    • Academic Centers
    • Philanthropy
    • Mobile Eye Clinic
    • Webinars
    • Job Postings
    • Events
    • News
    • Contact Us
  • Conditions and Treatment
    • Eye Signs and Symptoms
    • Eye Conditions
    • Surgical Treatments
    • Non-Surgical Treatments
  • Eye Research
    • Clinical Trials
    • Clinical Research Center
    • Research Laboratories
    • Research to Prevent Blindness
    • SEI Seminar Series
    • Vision Research Core at UCLA
  • Our Providers
  • Training and Education
    • Educational Activities
    • Training Programs
  • Our Locations
    • UCLA Stein Eye Institute Westwood
    • UCLA Stein Eye Center Santa Monica
    • UCLA Stein Eye Center Calabasas
    • Doheny Eye Center UCLA Pasadena
    • Doheny Eye Center UCLA Arcadia
    • Doheny Eye Center UCLA Orange County
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

UCLA Stein Eye Institute

Eye Research

Eye Research

Eye Research

  • Clinical Trials
    • Cornea and External Eye
    • Eye Infections and Inflammations
    • Glaucoma Clinical Trials
    • Lens and Cataract
    • Macula Retina and Vitreous
    • Neuro-Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics and Strabismus
  • Clinical Research Center
  • Research Laboratories
    • Advanced Robotic Eye Surgery (ARES) Laboratory
      • Current Lab Members
      • Research Projects
      • Grants and Support
      • News
      • Publications
      • Patents
    • Biology and Genetics of Retinal Disease
      • Research Projects
      • Lab Members
      • Available Positions
      • Grants and Support
      • Selected Publications
    • Cornea Biology
      • Current Lab Members
      • Past Lab Members
      • Publications
      • Available Positions
    • Cornea Genetics
    • Developmental Neurobiology
    • Glaucoma Advanced Imaging Laboratory
      • Lab Members
      • Former Trainees
      • News
      • Publications
      • Education
      • Ongoing Research Projects
      • Grants and Support
      • Links
      • Contact Us
    • Lens Biophysics
    • Molecular Biology of Retinal Ganglion Cells
    • Molecular Neurobiology
    • Ocular Motility
    • Ophthalmic Biophysical Chemistry
    • Ophthalmic Pathology
    • Photoreceptor Biochemistry
    • Photoreceptor - RPE Cell Biology
      • Lab Members
        • Barry L. Burgess
        • Abhishek Chadha, PhD
        • Blake Gilmore
        • Roni Hazim, PhD
        • Nan Hultgren, PhD
        • Antonio Escudero Paniagua, PhD
        • Ankita Umapathy, PhD
        • Stefanie Volland, PhD
        • David S. Williams, PhD
      • Former Trainees
      • Positions Available
      • Research Projects
      • Image and Video Examples
      • Grants and Support
      • Publications
        • Selected Publications
        • All Publications
      • Williams Lab - Latest News
    • Retina Biochemistry & Clinical Disease Modeling Laboratory
      • Lab Members
      • Positions Available
      • Publications
    • Retinal Biochemistry - Inherited Diseases
    • Retinal Cell Biology
    • Retinal Function and Dysfunction
      • About
      • Lab Members
      • Publications
      • Positions Available
    • Retinal Pathophysiology
    • Vision Molecular Biology
    • Visual Physiology
  • Research to Prevent Blindness
  • SEI Seminar Series
  • Vision Research Core at UCLA
    • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Instrumentation Core
    • Gene & Cell Delivery Core
    • Live Imaging and Functional Evaluation (LIFE) Core:
    • Microscopy and Imaging Analysis Core
      • Research Images and Videos
    • Prototype Construction Core
    • Software Engineering (SE) Core
  • Clinical Trials
  • Clinical Research Center
  • Research Laboratories
  • Research to Prevent Blindness
  • SEI Seminar Series
  • Vision Research Core at UCLA
  • Advanced Robotic Eye Surgery (ARES) Laboratory
  • Biology and Genetics of Retinal Disease
  • Cornea Biology
  • Cornea Genetics
  • Developmental Neurobiology
  • Glaucoma Advanced Imaging Laboratory
  • Lens Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology of Retinal Ganglion Cells
  • Molecular Neurobiology
  • Ocular Motility
  • Ophthalmic Biophysical Chemistry
  • Ophthalmic Pathology
  • Photoreceptor Biochemistry
  • Photoreceptor - RPE Cell Biology
  • Retina Biochemistry & Clinical Disease Modeling Laboratory
  • Retinal Biochemistry - Inherited Diseases
  • Retinal Cell Biology
  • Retinal Function and Dysfunction
  • Retinal Pathophysiology
  • Vision Molecular Biology
  • Visual Physiology
  1. Home
  2. Eye Research
  3. Research Laboratories
  4. Developmental Neurobiology

Developmental Neurobiology

Share this

Xian-Jie Yang, PhD, Director

Contact Information
Phone: (310) 825-7020
Fax: (310) 794-2144
Email: yang@jsei.ucla.edu

Location Address
UCLA Stein Eye Institute
100 Stein Plaza, Room BH-118
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Research Areas

Development of the Vertebrate Eye and Retina

Description
Dr. Yang is interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying development of the vertebrate eye. Her research efforts are directed toward understanding how the eye primordium (the beginnings of vision cells) is specified and how retinal progenitor (precursor) cells make cell fate choices during formation of the retina. To achieve these goals her laboratory uses a variety of molecular and biochemical approaches that include cloning genes involved in eye development, characterizing gene expression patterns, culturing retinal cells and analyzing protein activation during cell-to-cell communication. In addition, Dr. Yang utilizes retroviral vectors (special laboratory-based viruses) to introduce wild-type and mutant genes into the developing retina and brain in order to assess the functions of these genes. Her current studies will contribute to our knowledge of human eye and retina development and provide a biological basis for therapeutic usage of protein growth factors for certain retinal degenerative diseases.

Representative Publications

Yang XJ, Cepko CL. Flk-1, a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is expressed by retinal progenitor cells. J Neurosci 1996;16:6089-99.

Ezzeddine D, Yang XJ, DeChiara T, Yancopoulos G, Cepko C L. Postmitotic cells fated to become rod photoreceptors can be respecified by CNTF treatment of the retina. Development 1997;124:1055-67.

Zhang XM, Lin E, Yang XJ. Sonic hedgehog mediated ventralization disrupts formation of the midbrain-hindbrain junction in the chick embryo. Dev Neurosci 2000;22:207-16.

Zhang XM, Yang XJ. Temporal and spatial effects of Sonic hedgehog signaling in chick eye morphogenesis. Dev Biol 2001;233:271-90.

Zhang XM, Yang XJ. Regulation of retinal ganglion cell production by Sonic hedgehog. Development 2000;128:943-57.

Grants

National Eye Institute: Cytokine Signal Transduction in Retinal Development, 5/1/00-4/30/04

Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest

Sign in to myUCLAhealth