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Richard Yan-Do

I am a pharmacologist formally trained in islet biology and type 2 diabetes. I have industrial experience as a former Novo Nordisk-Oxford postdoctoral fellow, where I bridged computational biology with wet lab genetics. Applying my expertise in electrophysiology, molecular biology, and imaging, I transitioned to biomedical engineering and developed novel RNA biotechnologies, most recently for cancer therapy. I am a startup founder however my passion is for science and engineering.

Education

PhD in Pharmacology
University of Alberta, Canada
2013 - 2018

Patrick MacDonald Lab.

BSc with Specialization in Pharmacology
University of Alberta, Canada
2009 - 2013

Matthias Braun Lab.

Certificates

Languages

  • English (Native)
  • Cantonese (Proficient)
  • Mandarin (Basic)

Interest

  • Pharmacology & Chemical Biology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Calcium imaging & cellular networks
  • Islet biology & type 2 diabetes
  • Deep learning & computer vision

Experiences

Research Scientist

2025 - Present
iIDEAS, HK

Start-up medical technology company developing minimally invasive endoscopic bariatric surgery for diabetes.

  • Managed human clinical trials for an endoscopic procedure for the treatment of diabetes.
  • Liaised with the FDA for investigational device exemption (IDE), good laboratory practice (GLP) animal studies, and 510(k) approval for medical devices.

Postdoctoral Fellow

2021 - 2025
Centre for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE), HK

Peng Shi lab. Worked jointly between COCHE and the City University HK Department of Biomedical Engineering.

  • Engineered a RNA origami method to selectvely express pore proteins in cancer cells to enhance doxorubicin therapy.
  • Submitted a patent for a high speed, quantitative COVID mRNA detection method. Founded a start up company and secured start up funding from HKTECH 300 (100 000 HKD) and HKSTP IDEATION (100 000 HKD).
  • Contributed to biotechology projects related to spatial transcriptomics, siRNA delivery, and electrophysiology.

Novo Nordisk – Oxford Postdoctoral Fellow

2019 - 2021
University of Oxford, UK

Cecilia Lindgren Lab. Worked jointly between the Big Data Institute (BDI), the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, and the Novo Nordisk Research Centre Oxford (NNRCO).

Research

RNA origami biotechnology for alpha hemolsyin pore mediated doxorubicin cancer therapy

Designed RNA origami to selectively express alpha hemolysin in cancer cells to assist in doxorubicin mediated cell death.

Loss of function genetic screen

Initated CRISPR KO screens to discover obesity genes. Contributed to siRNA screen to discover key cancer gene combinations.

Receptor/ion channel pharmacology for human pancreatic islets

Investigated P2X and P2Y mechanism for stimulating insulin in human beta cells. Discovered glycine receptors in human beta cells and elucidated its mechanism in insulin secretiion. Received the Med Star Award (1000 CAD).

Whole islet imaging from human donors

Investigate the calcium signalling dynamics in human pancreatic islets which was featured on the cover of Diabetes.

Patent

Highly Sensitive Micropore Assay for Rapid and Amplification Free Detection of COVID-19 mRNA - US Patent Application. No.63/716,325. Filed on 5 November 2024.
RNA HANDCUFFS AND METHODS OF USE - PWG/PA/2423/7/2026. US Non-Provisional Patent Application. Filed on 3 July 2026

Selected Publications

*=co-first author

  • RNA Handcuffs for Precision Combinatory Cancer Therapy.
    • Yan-Do R*, Chamberlin M*, Su F, Lei L, Li CY, Xiong CX, He XD , Zhao X, Qu J, Huang LF, Kuang Y, Arkin IT, Yang Y, Shi P.
    Nature Biotechnology under review.
  • Sequencing-free Tissue-wide Spatial Profiling of Post-transcriptional Regulations.
    • Ji X*, Fang P*, Wan Y*, Zhao X*, Xiong C*, Guo F*, Yang Q, Yan-Do R , Qi L, Xu C, Wang X, Huang L, Zhang W, Wang Z, Ke J, Shi P.
    Nature Biomedical Engineering. in press. PMID:42521808.
  • Single-cell encoded gene silencing for high-throughput combinatorial siRNA screening.
    • Guo F*, Ji X*, Xiong C, Sun H, Liang Z, Yan-Do R, Gai B, Gao F, Huang L, Li Z, Kuang BY, Shi P.
    Nature Communications . 2024 Nov 19;15(1):9985. PMID:39562763.
  • Ca2+ Oscillations, Waves, and Networks in Islets From Human Donors With and Without Type 2 Diabetes.
    • Gosak M*, Yan-Do R*, Lin H, MacDonald PE, Stožer A.
    Diabetes. 2022 Dec 1;71(12):2584-2596. PMID:36084321.
  • A Glycine-Insulin Autocrine Feedback Loop Enhances Insulin Secretion From Human β-Cells and Is Impaired in Type 2 Diabetes.
    • Yan-Do R, Duong E, Manning Fox JE, Dai X, Suzuki K, Khan S, Bautista A, Ferdaoussi M, Lyon J, Wu X, Cheley S, MacDonald PE, Braun M.
    Diabetes. 2016 Aug;65(8):2311-21. PMID:27207556.
    Skills & Proficiency
    Electrophysiology
    Microscopy
    Molecular Biology
    Mouse handling
    Protein modeling