Gene Yeo PhD MBA is a Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), the founding Director for UCSD’s Center for RNA Technologies and Therapeutics, the founding Chief Scientist for Sanford Laboratories for Innovative Medicine, a founding member of the Institute for Genomic Medicine and member of the UCSD Stem Cell Program and Moores Cancer Center. Dr. Yeo has a BSc in Chemical Engineering and a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the UCSD Rady School of Management. Dr. Yeo serves as Co-Director of the Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, as Associate Director of a Genetics T32 training program at UCSD and as Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine in La Jolla.Dr. Yeo's pioneering work delves into RNA processing regulation and the pivotal role played by RNA binding proteins (RBPs) in developmental processes and diseases. His research prowess is exemplified by over 250 peer-reviewed publications, including impactful book chapters and review articles in areas such as neurodegeneration, computational biology, and stem cell models. Dr. Yeo's dedication to innovation shines through his development of advanced methodologies, like enhanced CLIP for large-scale protein-RNA interaction mapping, and the innovative STAMP technology, enabling transcriptome-wide identification of RNA binding protein sites.Beyond his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Yeo's impact extends to the realm of therapeutics. He has made significant strides in RNA-targeting therapies, identifying RBPs as potential targets for neurological disorders and cancer. His lab's pioneering work has led to clinical programs aimed at developing medicines for RNA-related diseases. Dr. Yeo's commitment to understanding the molecular and cellular intricacies of diseases is evidenced by his development of stem cell-based models for disorders like myotonic dystrophy, Huntington's disease, and ALS/FTD.He serves on editorial boards for prestigious journals like Cell Reports, Cell Research, and eLife. His accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Early Career Award from the International RNA Society, the inaugural Sydney Brenner Medal from the Academia Europaea, the Blavatnik National Award Finalist distinction, and the Entrepreneurial Achievement Award by the Rady School of Management.