1、开发新型表观遗传新技术，研究不同维度表观信息的关联调控机制；

2、研究染色质结构变化对基因表达和细胞命运调控的分子机制；

3、研究干细胞多能性和全能性建立、及早期胚胎发育的分子机理；

4、筛选调控肿瘤发生发展的表观遗传新靶标，并进行药物干预。

1、国家自然科学基金重点项目，R-loop对异染色质建立和维持的调控作用及其机制研究，2025年01月-2029年12月，219万元，项目负责人。

2、国家重点研发计划“干细胞研究与器官修复”重点专项，表观修饰和染色质高级结构在细胞全能性建立中的关联调控及机制研究，2021年12月-2026年06月，2551万元，项目负责人。

3、国家自然科学基金联合基金重点项目，染色质高级结构在不同发育潜能多能干细胞诱导中的作用及其机制研究，2022年01月-2025年12月，316.8万元，项目负责人。

4、国家杰出青年科学基金，细胞命运决定的表观遗传机理，2020年01月-2024年12月，400万元，项目负责人。

1、Wang J, Wen Y, Huang S, Liu Y, Dong X, Liu H, Guo Z, Li J, Zhou C, Wang H, Zhang L, Wang Z, Li W, Yao H*. Overcoming chemotherapeutic drug resistance in lung squamous cell carcinoma by disrupting SOX2 self-association and condensates. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2026. May 13;11(1):183. doi: 10.1038/s41392-026-02696-3.

2、Li Y^#, Li Q^#, Wang X^#, Di C, Sheng Y, Ma Y, Liao J, Cai Q, Huang S, Chen J, Wu G, Zhang L, Pan G, Gao S, Yao H*. R-loops orchestrate RNAPII transcriptional reprogramming for the maternal-to-zygotic transition. Cell Research. 2026. 36:181-196. Jan 9. (Cover story)

3、Huang S^#, Chen J^#, Wen Y^#, Dong X, Ji T, Wang J, Zhang J, Zhang L, Pan G, Liang Wen, Jiang C*, Yao H*. Targeting CTCF inhibits lung adenocarcinoma progression and enhances response to PD-1 blockade. 2026. Science China Life Sciences. In press.

4、Wang M^#, Wang L^#, Cai Q^#, Huang Y, Yi S, Pan H, Liu W, Wang H, Yao H*, Jiang C*, Gao S*, Chen J*. DDX5 orchestrates RNA homeostasis to ensure oocyte developmental competence. Nature Communications. 2026. Mar 11;17(1):3798. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-70237-1. (Featured article)

5、Hu G^#, Ji B^#, Zhang J^#, Liu Y, Wang X, Ren H, Liao J, Yao H*. CTCF’s loop-independent functions prevail over chromatin looping in the acute degradation system. Protein Cell. 2026. Apr 1;17(4):357-365. doi: 10.1093/procel/pwaf087.

6、Liao J, Ma Y, Liu Y, Yao H*. GABPA Ensures Proper Blastocyst Development by Suppressing SMAD3-mediated TGF-β Signaling. Protein Cell. 2026. Mar 1;17(3):263-267. doi: 10.1093/procel/pwaf083.

7、Li Y^#, Sheng Y^#, Di C, Yao H*. Base-pair resolution reveals clustered R-loops and DNA damage-susceptible R-loops. Molecular Cell. 2025. Apr 17;85(8):1686-1702.e5. (Featured Article)

8、Zhong H^#, Lu Y^#, Zhang J, Hu G, Pan G, Yao H*. Dissecting the functional roles of CTCF and CTCF-s in human embryonic stem cells. Journal of Genetics and Genomics. 2025. Dec 23: S1673-8527(25)00349-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2025.12.007. Online ahead of print.

9、何倩楠, 姚红杰. R-loop功能及检测技术研究进展. 中国科学: 生命科学, 2025, 55(6): 1121–1133.

10、Ren H, Zhong H, Zhang J, Lu Y, Hu G, Duan W, Ma N, Yao H*. CTCF Point Mutation at R567 Disrupts Mouse Heart Development via 3D Genome Rearrangement and Transcription Dysregulation. Cell Proliferation. 2025 Apr;58(4):e13783. doi: 10.1111/cpr.13783. Epub 2024 Dec 16.

11、Wang X, Hu G, Wang L, Lu Y, Liu Y, Yang S, Liao J, Zhao Q, Huang Q, Wang W, Guo W, Li H, Fu Y, Song Y, Cai Q, Zhang X, Wang X, Chen YQ, Zhang X, Yao H*. DEAD-box RNA helicase 10 is required for 18S rRNA maturation by controlling the release of U3 snoRNA from pre-rRNA in embryonic stem cells. Nature Communications. 2024. Nov 27;15(1):10303. (Highlighted by Nature Communications Editor).

12、Guo R^#, Dong X^#, Chen F, Ji T, He Q, Zhang J, Sheng Y, Liu Y, Yang S, Liang W, Song Y, Fang K, Zhang L, Hu G, Yao H*. TEAD2 initiates the ground-state pluripotency by mediating chromatin looping. The EMBO Journal. 2024. May;43(10):1965-1989.

13、Zhang J^#, Hu G^#, Lu Y^#, Ren H^#, Huang Y, Wen Y, Ji B, Wang D, Wang H, Liu H, Ma N, Pan G, Peng G, Qu Y, Zhang W, Miao Z, Yao H*. CTCF mutation at R567 causes developmental disorders by 3D genome rearrangement and abnormal neurodevelopment. Nature Communications. 2024. Jul 1;15(1):5524.

14、Liu Y, Hu G, Yang S, Yan C, Wang J, Pan G, Yao H*. Variant PRC1 subunit RYBP/YAF2 forms condensate with RING1B and promotes H2AK119ub deposition. Science China Life Sciences. 2024. Sep;67(9):2036-2038.

15、Liu Y^#, Hu G^#, Yang S, Yao M, Liu Z, Yan C, Wen, Yang S, Ping W, Wang J, Song Y, Dong X, Yao H*. Functional dissection of variant polycomb repressive complex 1 subunits RYBP and YAF2 during neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Nature Communications. 2023. Nov 7;14(1):7164.

16、Ping W^#, Sheng Y^#, Hu G, Zhong H, Li Y, Liu Y-J, Luo W, Yan C, Wen Y, Wang X, Li Q, Guo R, Zhang J, Pan G, Yao H*. RBBP4 is an epigenetic barrier to the induced transition of pluripotent stem cells into totipotent 2C-like cells. Nucleic Acids Research. 2023. Jun 23;51(11):5414-5431.

17、Zhong H, Zhang J, Lu Y, Hu G, Pan G, Yao H*. 3D genome perspective on cell fate determination, organ regeneration, and diseases. Cell Proliferation. 2023. May;56(5):e13482.

18、Dong X^#, Guo R^#, Ji T, Zhang J, Xu J, Li Y, Sheng Y, Wang Y, Fang K, Wen Y, Liu B, Hu G, Deng H, Yao H*. YY1 safeguard multidimensional epigenetic landscape associated with extended pluripotency. Nucleic Acids Research. 2022. Nov 28;50(21):12019-12038. (Breakthrough Article)

19、Song Y^#, Liang Z^#, Zhang J^#, Hu G^#, Wang J, Li Y, Guo R, Dong X, Babarinde IA, Ping W, Sheng YL, Li H, Chen Z, Gao M, Chen Y, Shan G, Zhang MQ, Shan G, Hutchins AP, Fu X-D*, Yao H*. CTCF functions as an insulator for somatic genes and a chromatin remodeler for pluripotency genes during reprogramming. Cell Reports. 2022. Apr 5; 39(1):110626. (Recommended in Faculty Opinions as being of special significance in its field by Faculty Member Sridhar Rao)

20、Gong S^#, Hu G^#, Guo R, Yang Y, Zhang J, Li G, Yao H*. CTCF acetylation at lysine 20 is required for early cardiac mesoderm differentiation from embryonic stem cells. Cell Regeneration. 2022 Sep 19;11(1):34.

21、Xia Q^#, Cui G^#, Fan Y, Wang X, Hu G, Wang L, Luo X, Yang L, Cai Q, Xu K, Guo W, Gao M, Li Y, Wu J, Li W, Chen J, Qi H, Peng G, Yao H*. RNA helicase DDX5 acts as a critical regulator for survival of neonatal mouse gonocytes. Cell Proliferation. 2021 Mar 5:e13000.

22、Hu G, Dong X, Gong S, Song Y, Hutchins AP, Yao H*. Systematic screening of CTCF binding partners identifies that BHLHE40 regulates CTCF genome-wide distribution and long-range chromatin interactions. Nucleic Acids Research. 2020. Sep 25;48(17):9606-9620.

23、Li Y^#, Song Y^#, Xu W^#, Li Q^#, Wang X, Li K, Wang J, Liu Z, Velychko S, Ye R, Xia Q, Wang L, Guo R, Dong X, Zheng Z, Dai Y, Li H, Yao M, Xue Y, Schöler H.R., Sun Q*, Yao H*. R-Loops coordinate with SOX2 in regulating reprogramming to pluripotency. Science Advances. 2020. 6, Eaba0777.

24、Li J^#, Huang K^#, Hu G^#, Babarinde IA, Li Y, Dong X, Chen Y-S, Shang L, Guo W, Wang J, Chen Z, Hutchins AP, Yang Y-G, Yao H*. An alternative CTCF isoform antagonizes canonical CTCF occupancy and changes chromatin architecture to promote apoptosis. Nature Communications. 2019. 10(1): 1535. (Highlighted by Nature Communications Editor).

25、Yao M, Zhou X, Zhou J, Gong S, Hu G, Li J, Huang K, Lai P, Shi G, Sun H, Wang H, Yao H*. PCGF5 is required for neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Nature Communications. 2018. 9(1):1463.

26、Ping W^#, Hu J^#, Hu G, Li H, Song Y, Xia Q, Yao M, Gong S, Jiang C*, Yao H*. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis reveals that mouse chemical iPSCs have closer epigenetic features to mESCs than OSKM-integrated-iPSCs. Cell Death & Disease. 2018. 9(2):187.

27、Li H^#, Lai P^#, Jia J^#, Song Y, Xia Q, Huang K, He N, Ping W, Chen J, Yang Z, Li J, Yao M, Dong X, Zhao J, Hou C, Esteban MA, Gao S, Pei D, Hutchins AP, Yao H*. RNA helicase DDX5 inhibits reprogramming to pluripotency by miRNA-based repression of RYBP and its PRC1-dependent and -independent functions. Cell Stem Cell. 2017. 20(4):462-477. (Previewed by Cell Stem Cell)

1、国务院政府特殊津贴

2、广东省自然科学一等奖（第一完成人）

3、广州市科技创新杰出人才

4、中国科学院人才计划入选者（终期评估优秀）