Dr. Hui Yang

Biography

Hui Yang is currently a Psychiatry Resident at Yale School of Medicine, focusing on the neural control of innate behavioral drives, particularly in relation to acute hunger, satiety, and energy homeostasis. His clinical interests directly address eating disorders and the maladaptive reward perceptions that can lead to behaviors detrimental to survival. Hui's interest in this area originated from his background as a track and amateur physique athlete. He moved to the U.S. from China at the age of 18 to pursue his undergraduate education. Hui gained biomedical research experience at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, studying retina development and degeneration in Dr. Valeria Canto-Soler’s lab. During college, he conducted research in Durban, South Africa, on bacterial molecular genetics and DNA topology, where he connected with hardworking local students and vibrant communities. He later transitioned to MD-PhD training, completing his PhD in Dr. Scott Sternson’s lab at HHMI Janelia Research Campus, where he explored coding states in need-fulfilling processes in the hypothalamus. Currently, at Yale, he is part of Dr. Ruslan Medzhitov’s lab, investigating gut-brain signaling of essential nutrients and their implications in anorexia recovery. Hui is passionate about bridging his research with clinical care to enhance the accessibility of eating disorder treatments.

Research Interests