Dr. Yimin Zou

Professor

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Biography

Yimin Zou graduated from Shanghai Fudan University as a CUSBEA student and received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, San Diego, in 1995. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco from 1996 to 2000. Zou then served as an Assistant and Associate Professor at the University of Chicago from 2000 to 2006 before joining the faculty at the University of California, San Diego in July 2006. His research focuses on axon guidance cues, particularly the role of Wnt family proteins in axon pathfinding and topographic mapping within the central nervous system. Zou is investigating the mechanisms of asymmetric signaling and circuit repair following traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, aiming to enhance functional recovery through molecular manipulation and behaviorally-guided training. His recent studies also explore the role of planar cell polarity signaling in synapse formation related to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and epilepsy, emphasizing the need for understanding molecular circuit mechanisms for therapeutic interventions.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).