Kejie Yin, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Yin’s research interest is to study the cellular & molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of cerebrovascular and neural dysfunction after ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and vascular dementia by using state-of-the-art cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, morphology, imaging, behavior and transgenic animal approaches. Currently, major ongoing research activities in Dr. Yin’s laboratory focus on investigating how non-coding RNAs and Krüppel-like transcription factors regulate neurovascular pathophysiology, affect neurological outcomes, and modulate brain repair and functional recovery after ischemic stroke,  traumatic brain injury, and vascular dementia. The long-term research goal of Dr. Yin’s laboratory is to discover novel molecular or pharmaceutical targets for the development of effective vaso-/neuro-protective or neurorestorative therapies against ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and vascular dementia. Dr. Yin is funded with numerous NIH, VA and AHA grants for his research and has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers.

Education & Training

  • MD, Yangzhou University Medical College, Clinical Medicine
  • MS, Nanjing Medical University, Neuroscience
  • PhD, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Neuroscience

Specialized Areas of Clinical, Research and/or Educational Interests 

  • Transcription factors, Non-coding RNAs, Bioinformatics, BBB dysfunction and recovery, Neurovascular injury and protection, Neurovascular remodeling and repair, Stroke, Traumatic brain injury, Vascular dementia

Professional Organization Membership

  • Society for Neuroscience (SFN)
  • American Heart Association (AHA)/ American Stroke Association (ASA)
  • International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism (ISCBFM)

Honors & Awards

  • Beginning Grant-in-Aid Award, American Heart Association
  • Scientist Development Grant Award (National), American Heart Association
  • The Investigator Award, European Stroke Research Foundation

Selected Publications

Zhang X, Tang X, Liu K, Hamblin MH, Yin KJLong Noncoding RNA Malat1 Regulates Cerebrovascular Pathologies in Ischemic Stroke. J Neurosci. 2017 Feb 15;37(7):1797-1806. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3389-16.2017. Epub 2017 Jan 16. PMID: 28093478; PMCID: PMC5320610. 

Tang X, Liu K, Hamblin MH, Xu Y, Yin KJGenetic Deletion of Krüppel-Like Factor 11 Aggravates Ischemic Brain Injury. Mol Neurobiol. 2018 Apr;55(4):2911-2921. doi: 10.1007/s12035-017-0556-9. Epub 2017 Apr 29. PMID: 28456933; PMCID: PMC5660934.

Sun P, Zhang K, Hassan SH, Zhang X, Tang X, Pu H, Stetler RA, Chen J, Yin KJEndothelium-Targeted Deletion of microRNA-15a/16-1 Promotes Poststroke Angiogenesis and Improves Long-Term Neurological Recovery. Circ Res. 2020 Apr 10;126(8):1040-1057. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315886. Epub 2020 Mar 5. PMID: 32131693; PMCID: PMC7172020.                                                                           

Ma F, Sun P, Zhang X, Hamblin MH, Yin KJEndothelium-targeted deletion of the miR-15a/16-1 cluster ameliorates blood-brain barrier dysfunction in ischemic stroke. Sci Signal. 2020 Apr 7;13(626):eaay5686. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aay5686. PMID: 32265338; PMCID: PMC7173187.

Zhou C, Sun P, Xu Y, Chen Y, Huang Y, Hamblin MH, Foley L, Hitchens TK, Li S, Yin KJGenetic Deficiency of MicroRNA-15a/16-1 Confers Resistance to Neuropathological Damage and Cognitive Dysfunction in Experimental Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2022 Apr 11:e2104986. doi: 10.1002/advs.202104986. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35403823.