Rui Yang

Assistant Professor

Email

rui.yang@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor: Pediatrics-Allergy & Immunology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
Tenure Track

Addresses

1102 Bates Ave (Office): BCM–Feigin Center; C.0330
Houston, TX, 77030
United States

Education

MD from Huazhong University of Science and Technology: 06/2011 - Wuhan, China

PhD from University of Vermont: 09/2016 - Burlington, Vermont, United States; Immunology

Postdoctoral Training at Rockefeller University: 06/2021 - New York, United States; Genetics and Immunology

Residency at Weill Cornell Medicine: 07/2024 - New York, United States; Pediatrics

Clinical Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine: 07/2026 - Houston, United States; Allergy and Immunology

Certifications

American Board of Pediatrics

Professional Interests

Human immunology
Cancer immunology
Genetics

Professional Statement

My research seeks to answer a fundamental question in human immunology: why do only a small subset of individuals develop life-threatening infections, immune dysregulation, or malignancies? By using naturally occurring human genetic variation as experiments of nature, I integrate human genetics, immunology, and functional genomics to define the nonredundant mechanisms of host defense. Ultimately, I aim to translate these discoveries into improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of immune-mediated diseases.

Websites

The Laboratory of Genetics of Human Immunity

Selected Publications

Rui Yang et al.,. " High Th2 cytokine levels and upper airway inflammation in human inherited T-bet deficiency " J Exp Med. 2021 Jun 23; 218 (8) : e20202726.
Pubmed PMID: 34160550.
Rui Yang et al.,. " Human T-bet governs innate and innate-like adaptive IFN-γ immunity against mycobacteria " Cell. 2020 Dec 23; 183 (7) : 1826-1847. e31.
Pubmed PMID: 33296702.
Rui Yang et al.,. " Human T-bet governs the generation of a distinct subset of CD11chighCD21low B cells " Sci Immunol. 2021 Jul 22; 7 (73) : eabq3277.
Pubmed PMID: 35867801.
Rui Yang et al.,. " IL-6 promotes the differentiation of a subset of naive CD8+ T cells into IL-21–producing B helper CD8+ T cells " J Exp Med. 2016 Oct 17; 213 (11) : 2281-2291.
Pubmed PMID: 27670591.
Masato Ogishi, Andrés Augusto Arias, Rui Yang et al.,. " Impaired IL-23–dependent induction of IFN-γ underlies mycobacterial disease in patients with inherited TYK2 deficiency " J Exp Med. 2022 Sep 12; 219 (10) : e20220094.
Pubmed PMID: 36094518.
Rui Yang, Ivan K Chinn. " Key and Emerging Concepts in Inborn Errors of Immunity and Immune Dysregulation " J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2026 May 14; 158 (1) : 12-25.e1.
Pubmed PMID: 42140393.

Funding

CPRIT Recruitment of First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Members #RR260051: (09/01/2026 - 09/01/2031); Grant funding from Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT); Studying CD27–CD70 axis in pediatric lymphomagenesis

Career Awards for Medical Scientists (CAMS): (09/01/2026 - 09/01/2036); Grant funding from Burroughs Wellcome Fund; Investigating the genetic spectrum of CD40- and CD40LG-related diseases

Specific Disease Program: (01/01/2026 - 12/31/2026); Grant funding from Jeffrey Modell Foundation

Research Grant: (07/01/2026 - 07/01/2027); Grant funding from Hyper IgM Foundation