University of California-San Diego · BiologyYelon Lab
Deborah Yelon · La Jolla, California
Research Focus
Dr. Deborah Yelon's lab at UC San Diego focuses on understanding how the heart maintains its distinct chamber identities, particularly between the atria and ventricles, using zebrafish as a model organism. The lab explores the genetic pathways that reinforce these identities and examines how they can change under different conditions. This research aims to shed light on the mechanisms behind heart development and potential strategies for addressing congenital heart diseases.
heart biologyzebrafishcardiac chamber identityFGF signalingventricular plasticitygene expressionresearch on birth defectscardiomyocytesstem cell differentiationdevelopmental biology
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the genetic pathways responsible for maintaining ventricular cardiomyocyte identity.
AIM 02Identify local differences in ventricular plasticity and their underlying mechanisms.
AIM 03Examine the role of FGF-MEK-ERK signaling in human cardiomyocytes during differentiation.
AIM 04Explore transcription factors that influence atrial and ventricular gene expression.
AIM 05Develop novel strategies for regenerative medicine based on these findings.
Skills the Lab Values
Zebrafish handlinggenetic manipulationreal-time biosensingtranscriptomicscell culturepharmacological techniquesbiomechanical assaysimaging techniquesdata analysismolecular biology techniques
Output against the department
Publications145top 47% of dept.485th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.3ktop 41% of dept.424th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.