The School of Biomedical Engineering is pleased to welcome Dr. Yanpu He to our faculty roster as an Assistant Professor. Dr. He is the first faculty recruitment as a part of the B.C. MS Cell Therapies Translational Research Network, or MS Research Network, a world-class research and patient-care hub that will use the latest advances in cell and gene engineering to develop, manufacture, and test next-generation cell-based therapies. The MS Network was created as a part of a $33.8 million gift from a private philanthropist for multiple sclerosis (MS) research and care.
“We are thrilled to welcome Yanpu to SBME,” says SBME Director, Peter Zandstra, “his research and experience developing immunotherapies have great promise for rapid acceleration of new disease-modifying therapeutics for MS, and other autoimmune diseases.”
Dr. He’s research focuses on protein and cellular engineering to develop and tailor immunotherapies that are more effective and broadly available for patients with cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.
“The goal of our research is to expand knowledge in the field of immunotherapy and develop translatable applications to benefit human health,” Dr. He comments, “I’m excited to be a part of SBME and collaborate with the incredible researchers here to advance treatments for MS.”
The strategy his team will use to target MS combines microbial engineering and cell-based immunotherapy. The living therapeutics that will be created in his lab have the potential to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance as a non-invasive treatment for MS and other autoimmune diseases.
The MS Research Network is a partnership between UBC Faculty of Medicine, the School of Biomedical Engineering and the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and Vancouver Coastal Health. The Network takes a team science approach drawing expertise from biomedical engineering, neurology, immunology and regenerative medicine.
“Yanpu’s expertise in cellular engineering is essential/integral to the MS Research Network,” comments Research Network Manager, Neha Manjari Akella, “His work will play a vital role in advancing the MS Research Network and program, enabling the rapid acceleration of therapies.”
In addition to his work with the MS Research Network, Dr. He’s research explores restoring impaired immunity with protein-based signaling complexes and targeting cancer heterogeneity with engineered immune cells.
Learn more about Dr. He’s research at his upcoming seminar on Bioinspired protein-based cancer immunotherapy on January 30 or visit his lab website.