Hi! I'm Yizhou Yu

Computational biologist at the University of Cambridge, using AI and single-cell genomics to understand disease.

Founder of OneCarbon, turning brain research into a daily probiotic for cognitive health.

Research

Now — Computational biology

As a Senior Computational Biologist in Prof. Sarah Teichmann's group (Cambridge Stem Cell Institute & Wellcome Sanger Institute), I build AI and machine-learning pipelines that integrate single-cell and spatial transcriptomics at scale. I apply Human Cell Atlas technologies to map inflammatory neuropathy — turning large, high-dimensional multiomic data into interpretable disease biology.

Venture — OneCarbon

I founded OneCarbon to turn my research into something people can use. Our daily probiotic, 1C-01, delivers one-carbon metabolites through the gut–brain axis to support cognitive health as we age. It's built on five peer-reviewed Cambridge studies and an 83% improvement in mitochondrial function in animal models — and we're now running our first clinical trial, PROFILE.

PhD — Alzheimer's disease

I combined multiomics, animal models and human data to find therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease, uncovering protective roles for NAD+, one-carbon metabolism and sleep-related genes — the science OneCarbon is built on.

Approach

What

I integrate genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and behavioural data to understand disease — pinpointing biomarkers and therapeutic targets for personalised medicine.

How

I generate data from cells, animal models, patients and population-scale cohorts, then analyse it with AI/ML. Combining modalities overcomes the limits of any single one.

Selected first-author publications

Please visit my Google Scholar page for the full list.

Figure from the PARP / NAD+ study

PARP mutations protect from mitochondrial toxicity in Alzheimer's disease

Metabolomics in a fly model revealed reduced nicotinamide metabolism. In flies and humans, boosting NAD+ availability proved neuroprotective.

Figure linking amyloid-β, sleep and NAD+ metabolism

Distinct forms of amyloid-β moderate sleep duration through NAD+-linked redox metabolism

Sleep changes can precede Alzheimer's. We linked distinct forms of amyloid-β to altered sleep duration via NAD+ redox metabolism and the protein hyperkinetic.

Figure from the one-carbon metabolism study

Enhancing mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism is neuroprotective in Alzheimer's disease models

Mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism is disrupted in Alzheimer's. Boosting it — genetically or with folinic acid — restored mitochondrial function and tracked with human AD risk.

Public engagement

I co-founded the International Sleep Charity, where I research the causes of poor sleep and develop ways to help people sleep better.

About me

I earned my PhD with Dr L. Miguel Martins at the University of Cambridge, after a first-class BSc in Biological Sciences from Imperial College London (2019).

Outside the lab I row, join hackathons and renovate houses — when there's time.

Yizhou Yu

Selected honours & awards

Please see my CV for the full list.

  • Trinity Bradfield Prize

    2025 — on behalf of the OneCarbon team

  • Postdoctoral Research Associateship

    Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge

  • CSAR PhD Student Award

    Cambridge Society for the Application of Research — on using probiotics to treat Alzheimer's disease

  • Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

    Selected as the University of Cambridge student to attend the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Physiology/Medicine, 2023

  • Oxford University Press Toxicology Research Prize

    Identification of aripiprazole-binding proteins using thermal proteome profiling

  • Bio-Spark Company-Seeding Fellow

    2023 — Cambridge Gravity

  • 10+ best speaker / poster awards

    Including from Alzheimer's Research UK, Hughes Hall (University of Cambridge) and the British Neuroscience Association

Contact

Thanks for visiting! Reach me at yizhou0421 [at] gmail.com or use the form below if you have any questions or would like to connect.