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Department of Biomedical Engineering School of Engineering | Heersink School of Medicine

Yuhua Song, Ph.D.

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Professor This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Shelby 803
(205) 996-6939

Research and Teaching Interests: Integrated computational and experimental study, Biomolecular modeling, Biomechanics, Biomolecular interactions, Ligand identification, Drug reposition

Office Hours: By appointment

Education:

  • B.S., Jilin University of Technology, Materials Science & Engineering
  • M.S., Harbin University of Science and Technology, Materials Science & Engineering
  • Ph.D., Harbin Institute of Technology, Materials Science & Engineering
  • Post-Doc, Tsinghua University, Computational Mechanics
  • Post-Doc, University of Pittsburgh, Computational Biomechanics
  • Post-Doc, Washington University in St. Louis, Computational Biology

Yuhua Song is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She joined UAB in 2006 as Assistant Professor from Washington University in St. Louis’ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics where she was a research instructor in the Center for Computational Biology.

Dr. Song’s research group uses integrated multiscale computational modelling and experimental approaches to investigate the structural, molecular and functional mechanisms of the biomolecular interactions. Her research goal is to identify endogenous and exogenous small molecules, including reposition of FDA-approved drugs, to regulate the biomolecular interactions underlying important cellular activities in Alzheimer's disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, dermatopathology, regenerative medicine and precision medicine, with current focus in Alzheimer's disease, for potential therapeutic treatment. Methodology development for multiscale modelling of complex biological systems continues to be a focus of her research group. Dr. Song’s research program is currently funded by NIH R01, NSF, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation and UAB internal grants.

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  • Recent Courses
    • BME 333: Biomechanics of Solids
    • BME 680, 780: Biomolecular Modeling
  • Research Interests

    Dr. Song’s research group uses integrated multiscale computational modelling and experimental approaches to investigate the structural, molecular and functional mechanisms of the biomolecular interactions. Her research goal is to identify endogenous and exogenous small molecules, including reposition of FDA-approved drugs, to regulate the biomolecular interactions underlying important cellular activities in Alzheimer's disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, dermatopathology, regenerative medicine and precision medicine, with current focus in Alzheimer's disease, for potential therapeutic treatment. Methodology development for multiscale modelling of complex biological systems continues to be a focus of her research group.

    Research projects in Dr. Song's group are described in detail at the Song reasearch group website.

  • Select Publications
    • Andrzej T. Slominski, Tae-Kang Kim, Radomir M. Slominski, Yuwei Song, Zorica Janjetovic, Ewa Podgorska, Sivani B. Reddy, Yuhua Song, Chander Raman, Edith Kang, Adrian Fabisiak, Pawel Brzeminski, Rafal R. Sicinski, Venkatram Atigadda, Anton M. Jetten, Michael F. Holick, Robert C. Tuckey. Metabolic activation of tachysterol3 to biologically active hydroxyderivatives in the human system that act on VDR, AhR, LXRs and PPARγ receptors. The FASEB Journal. 2022; 36(8): e22451. doi: https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202200578R.
    • Yuwei Song, Radomir M. Slominski, Shariq Qayyum, Tae-Kang Kim, Zorica Janjetovic, Chander Raman, Robert C. Tuckey, Yuhua Song*, Andrzej T. Slominski*. Molecular and structural basis of interactions of vitamin D3 hydroxyderivatives with aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR): an integrated experimental and computational study. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022; 209:1111-23. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.04.048 PMID: 35421413
    • Brzeminski, Pawel; Fabisiak, Adrian; Slominski, Radomir; Kim, Tae-Kang; Janjetovic, Zorica; Podgorska, Ewa; Song, Yuwei; Saleem, Mohammad; Reddy, Sivani; Qayyum, Shariq; Song, Yuhua; Tuckey, Robert C. ; Atigadda, Venkatram; Jetten, Anton; Sicinski, Rafal; Raman, Chander; Slominski, Andrzej. Chemical synthesis, biological activities and action on nuclear receptors of 20S(OH)D3, 20S,25(OH)2D3, 20S,23S(OH)2D3 and 20S,23R(OH)2D3. Bioorganic Chemistry. 2022;121:105660. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105660. PMID: 35168121 PMCID: PMC8923993
    • Yuwei Song, Shariq Qayyum, Rory A Greer, Radomir M Slominski, Chander Raman, Andrzej T Slominski*, Yuhua Song*. Vitamin D3 and its Hydroxyderivatives as Promising Drugs to Disrupt SARS-CoV-2 Entry against COVID-19:  A Computational Study. Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, 2021:1-17. Epub 2021/08/21. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1964601. PubMed PMID: 344152182021
    • Aijun Qiao, Junlan Zhou, Shiyue Xu, Wenxia Ma, Chan Boriboun, Teayoun Kim, Baolong Yan, Jianxin Deng, Liu Yang, Eric Zhang, Yuhua Song, Yongchao Ma, Stéphane Richard, Chunxiang Zhang, Hongyu Qiu, Kirk Habegger, Jianyi Zhang, Marc Montminy, Gangjian Qin. Sam68 promotes hepatic gluconeogenesis via CRTC2. Nature Communications. 2021;12(1):3340. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23624-9. PMID: 34099657 PMCID: PMC8185084
    • Andrzej T Slominski*, Tae-Kang Kim, Shariq Qayyum, Yuwei Song, Zorica Janjetovic, Allen SW Oak, Radomir M Slominski, Chander Raman, Joanna Stefan, Venkatram Atigadda, David K Crossman, Yaroslav Bilokin, Robert C Tuckey, Anton Jetten, Yuhua Song*. Biologically Active Vitamin D and Lumisterol Derivatives Act on Liver X Receptors (LXRs). Scientific Reports. 2021; 11: 8002, doi:10.1038/s41598-021-87061-w. PMID: 33850196 PMCID: PMC8044163
    • Yiming Zhang, Rory A Greer, Yuwei Song, Hrithik Praveen, and Yuhua Song*. In silico identification of available drugs targeting cell surface BiP to disrupt SARS-CoV-2 binding and replication: Drug repurposing approach. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2021; 160:105771. PMID: 33617948 PMCID: PMC7894100 PMID: 33617948 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2021.105771
    • Daniel L. Kober, Melissa Brereton, Colin E. Kluender, Hunter B. Dean, Deborah F. Steinberg, Samantha Nelson, Berevan Baban, Carl Frieden, Jennifer Alexander-Brett, Erik D. Roberson, Yuhua Song, and Tom J. Brett. Functional insights from biophysical study of TREM2 interactions with ApoE and Aβ1-42. Alzheimer's & Dementia. Featured Article, 2021;17(3):475-88. PMID: 33090700 PMCID: PMC8026773 https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12194
    • Andrzej Slominski, MD, PhD; Anyamanee Chaiprasongsuk; Zorica Janjetovic; Tae kim; Joanna Stefan; Radomir Slominski; Vidya Hanumanthu; Chander Raman; Shariq Qayyum; Yuwei Song; Yuhua Song; Uraiwan Panich; David Crossman; Mohammad Athar; Michael Holick; Anton Jetten; Michal Zmijewski; Jaroslaw Zmijewski; Robert Tuckey. Photoprotective properties of vitamin D and lumisterol hydroxyderivatives. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, 78(2): p. 165-180, PMID: 32441029 PMCID: PMC7347247 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12013-020-00913-6
    • Hongyi Yang, Zainab Ameir Ahmad, Yuhua Song*. Molecular Insight for the Role of Key Residues of Calreticulin in its Binding Activities: A Computational Study, Computational Biology and Chemistry. 2020;85:107228, PMID: 32062378, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2020.107228
  • Academic Distinctions and Professional Societies
    • Principal Investigator for NIH and NSF grants
    • Recipient of the Graduate Dean’s Excellence in Mentorship Award
    • Professional Affiliations
      • American Association for Cancer Research
      • American Chemical Society
      • American Heart Association
      • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
      • Biophysical Society 
      • National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity
      • Protein Society

    Grant Reviews

    • NSF CBET EBMS program, October 2021
    • UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), November 2018
    • NSF CBET EBMS program, September 2018
    • NIH Membrane Biology and Protein Processing Study Section, October 2017
    • NSF CBET/CDS&E program, June 2017
    • Kentucky Science & Engineering Foundation, April 2016
    • Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Panel Member for the Bioengineering, Biotechnology and Biochemistry Panel, Lisbon, Portugal, October 2012

     

    Editorial Boards

      • MCB: Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics (2007 - present)
      • Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques (2011 - present)
      • Journal of Thermodynamics & Catalysis (2011 - present)
      • Health and Medical Informatics Open Access (2018 – present)
      • International Journal of Biochemistry & Physiology (2018 – present)
      • Membranes, Topic Editor in Section "Membranes in Life Science" (2021 – present)

    Manuscript Reviews

    • Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal
    • Computational Biology and Chemistry
    • Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling
    • Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology
    • Biophysical Journal
    • Medicinal Research Reviews         
    • PLoS ONE
    • Journal of Biological Chemistry
    • Computational Science & Discovery
    • ACS Nano
    • Journal of Biomechanics
    • Materials & Design
    • IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering
    • Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B           
    • Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and Biology       
    • Polymer Engineering and Science
    • International Journal of Computational Bioscience