Dr. Yiyou Gu is an Associate Research Scientist at The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Michigan Technological University and completed postdoctoral training in Infectious Diseases at Harbor-UCLA.
His research focuses on molecular pathogenesis, host–fungal interactions, and translational strategies to diagnose and treat invasive fungal infections, particularly mucormycosis. During his doctoral work, he developed the widely used STTM technology for microRNA silencing. He later contributed to the discovery of mucoricin, a key virulence factor in mucormycosis, and to studies defining host pathways driving fungal invasion.
Dr. Gu also develops rapid molecular diagnostics and monoclonal antibody–based immunotherapies targeting Mucorales. He is currently a Project Leader on an NIH/NIAID-funded program advancing therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for life-threatening fungal infections.