Jason Yi, PhD

2025 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient

Jason Yi, PhD, is nominated for the 2025 Dean’s Impact Awards for his work with the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and his hands-on and compassionate approach with the disorder’s community. Yi’s research is focused on brain development and disease with the goal of uncovering treatments for developmental disorders. One of these is Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder occurring in one in 15,000 live births. Caused by the mutation or deletion of the UBE3A gene, the syndrome leads to severe neurological impairment characterized by epilepsy, motor deficits and a lack of verbal communication. Yi’s passion for researching this disorder goes beyond his UBE3A expertise. In 2021, Yi was appointed to the scientific advisory board of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, an organization that supports research on this rare disorder. As a board member, Yi helps oversee research grants funded by the foundation, lending his specific scientific skills to the foundation. More than guiding the foundation’s research priorities, Yi has received praise for his community engagement with Angelman syndrome families. He openly communicates the research, demonstrating his professional commitment to translating complex research and breaking down scientific barriers so families can more easily understand the syndrome.