Dr. Yao holds the titles of emeritus professor and former chairman within the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada. Born in Shanghai, China, Dr. Yao earned his BSc in Biology from East China Normal University (Shanghai), and both his MSc and PhD in Biochemistry from UBC (Vancouver, Canada). After postdoctoral training at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (UCSF), Dr. Yao established his first independent research laboratory at the University of Alberta as a Research Scholar of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Science, the Medical Research Council of Canada, and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. Dr. Yao then relocated his laboratory to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, where he assumed the Chair position for the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology from 2002 to 2013. His research investigates the pathophysiology of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, along with associated disorders such as familial combined hyperlipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and visceral obesity. His recent investigations have demonstrated the critical role of the endo-lysosome system in the etiology of chronic and metabolic diseases. Dr. Yao received numerous academic honors throughout his research career. He was awarded the Research Scholarship Award, Scientist Award, Senior Investigator Award, and Career Investigator Award from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Medical Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Yao was additionally honored with the Ottawa Life Science Council Achievement Award in Basic Research and the Established Investigator Award from the Canadian Lipoprotein Conference. Currently, Dr. Yao holds a co-founder position at Motigenix Inc. and A&M Pharmaceuticals Inc.