Helen Yin, Ph.D. Titles and Appointments Associate Dean, Office of Faculty Development Professor Endowed Title Distinguished Teaching Professor; Margaret Yin Chair for the Advancement of Women Faculty; Peter and Jean D. Dehlinger Professorship in Biomedical Science School Medical School Department Physiology | Faculty Development | Public Health Graduate Programs Cell and Molecular Biology Biography Dr. Helen Yin is a biomedical scientist with a career in scientific discoveries, educational innovation, and institutional leadership. She discovered gelsolin, the first actin filament-severing protein, and transformed our understanding of the cytoskeleton and membrane trafficking. Her research has also revealed how key signaling lipids regulate cell responses to stress, phagocytosis, and autophagy. A passionate advocate for translational science, Dr. Yin founded the Mechanisms of Disease & Translational Science (MODTS) graduate track at UT Southwestern in 2008. This HHMI- and NIH-supported program uniquely trains PhD students to bridge basic science and clinical medicine, preparing them to address real-world health challenges. Dr. Yin’s current focus is on improving career development strategies for early-career scientists. She co-directs two major NIH-funded faculty development programs that use rigorous, data-driven approaches to identify and implement the best practices for supporting junior investigators and promoting biomedical research. As an Associate Dean in the Office of Faculty Development, Dr. Yin co-directs several institution-wide initiatives to promote success for both men and women faculty, including: LEAD (Leadership Emerging in Academic Dept)– Junior faculty leadership development SOAR (Successfully Obtaining an R)– Grantsmanship mentoring for NIH R01 applications CIMER Mentor Training– Evidence-based interactive research mentor training SMART (Scientific Management Accelerating Research & Tenure)– Junior faculty onboarding for research success Whether in the lab, the classroom, or the boardroom, Dr. Yin is committed to scientific excellence, mentorship, and supporting the next generation of academic leaders. Education Undergraduate Mount Holyoke College (1970), Biology Graduate School Harvard University (1976), Physiology Research Interest Career Development of Junior Scientists Differential targeting of type II phosphatidylinositol 4 kinase alpha and beta to the Golgi and the plasma membrane Phosphoinositide regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, membrane trafficking and autophagy Phosphoinositide regulation of the Golgi Publications Featured Publications GABARAPs regulate PI4P-dependent autophagosome:lysosome fusion Wang, H, Sun HQ, Zhu X, Zhang Li, Albanesi J, Levine B, Yin H Proc Natil Acad Science 2015 112:7015-20 Sustaining the clinical and translational research workforce: Training and empowering the next generation of investigators Yin HL, Gabrilove J, Jackson R, Sweeney C, Fair AL, Toto R. Acad Med 2015 90:861-5. Phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate regulates targeting of clathrin adaptor AP-1 complexes to the Golgi Wang YJ, Wang J, Sun HQ, Martinez M, Sun YX, Macia E, Kirchhausen T, Albanesi JP, Roth MG, Yin HL Cell August 2003 114(3) 299-310 Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate induces actin-based movement of raft-enriched vesicles through WASP-Arp2/3 Rozelle AL, Machesky LM, Yamamoto M, Driessens MH, Insall RH, Roth MG, Luby-Phelps K, Marriott G, Hall A, Yin HL Curr Biol March 2000 10(6) 311-20 gCap39, a calcium ion- and polyphosphoinositide-regulated actin capping protein Yu FX, Johnston PA, Sudhof TC, Yin HL Science December 1990 250(4986) 1413-5 Control of cytoplasmic actin gel-sol transformation by gelsolin, a calcium-dependent regulatory protein Yin HL, Stossel TP Nature October 1979 281(5732) 583-6 Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase IIa Is Palmitoylated by Golgi-localized Palmitoyltransferases in Cholesterol-dependent Manner. Lu D, Sun HQ, Wang H, Barylko B, Fukata Y, Fukata M, Albanesi JP, Yin HL J. Biol. Chem. 2012 Jun 287 26 21856-65 Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5 bisphosphate and the actin cytoskeleton. Zhang L, Mao YS, Janmey PA, Yin HL Subcell. Biochem. 2012 59 177-215 Oxidative stress decreases phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate levels by deactivating phosphatidylinositol- 4-phosphate 5-kinase beta in a Syk-dependent manner. Chen MZ, Zhu X, Sun HQ, Mao YS, Wei Y, Yamamoto M, Yin HL J. Biol. Chem. 2009 Aug 284 35 23743-53 Palmitoylation Controls the Catalytic Activity and Subcellular Distribution of Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase IIalpha Barylko B, Mao YS, Wlodarski P, Jung G, Binns DD, Sun HQ, Yin HL, Albanesi JP J Biol Chem February 2009 [Epub ahead of print] Results 1-10 of 14 1 2 Next Last Honors & Awards Institutional Award, AAMC Group on Women in Science and Medicine (Established)To honor the achievements of an established institutional program to promote women in science and medicine (2023-2023) Inaugural holder of the Margaret Yin Chair for the Advancement of Women Faculty (2015) The Innovation in Health Science Education Award, University of Texas System Kenneth Shine Academy (2015) Distinguished Teaching Professor, University of Texas System Kenneth Shine Academy of Health Science Education (2014) 2000 - 2004Editorial Board, Journal of Biological Chemistry (0) 2006Peter and Jean D. Dehlinger Professorship in Biomedical Sciences (0) 2006 - 2007Fellow of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (ELAM), Drexel College of Medicine Professional Associations/Affiliations AAMC Group on Women in Science and Medicine (2020-2023) CTSA KL2 Clinical Translational Scholars Career Development award (2021-2023) Joint UTSW-UTD NIH FIRST Research Program (2023-2023)
