Dr. Yarui Diao

Biography

Yarui Diao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Duke University, specializing in the field of Cell Biology with a focus on Regeneration Genomics. His research program is dedicated to unraveling gene regulatory mechanisms that drive cell fate changes during development and regeneration. Diao’s quest is to decode the fundamental principles of gene regulation through the development of cutting-edge genomic tools such as CREST-seq, CARGO-BioID, HiCAR, and scHiCAR, which benefit both his research and the broader scientific community. His academic journey began during his PhD training at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he explored epigenetic mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle regeneration. Diao’s postdoctoral work at UC San Diego further deepened his expertise in epigenetics and genomics, resulting in numerous high-impact publications in prestigious journals. Since establishing his independent lab at Duke in 2018, Diao has focused on human pluripotent stem cells and muscle stem cell niche regeneration, with significant contributions to understanding the pathological roles of macrophages in muscular dystrophy and the impact of transposable elements on stem cell fate. He has received recognition for teaching excellence and is actively involved in mentoring students and advancing regenerative biology research.

Research Interests