Richard A. Young

Richard A. Young

Professor of Biology; Core Member, Whitehead Institute

Richard A. Young explores how and why gene expression differs in healthy versus diseased cells.

617-258-5218

Phone

WI-501

Office

young@wi.mit.edu

Email

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Location

Lab Website
Jingwen Araki

Assistant

617-258-5217

Assistant Phone

Education

  • PhD, 1979, Yale University
  • BS, 1975, Biological Sciences, Indiana University

Research Summary

We use experimental and computational technologies to determine how signaling pathways, transcription factors, chromatin regulators and small RNAs regulate gene expression in healthy and diseased cells. Our interests range from the basic molecular mechanisms behind gene control to drug development for cancer and other diseases caused by gene misregulation.

Awards

  • National Academy of Medicine, Member, 2019
  • National Academy of Sciences, Member, 2012

Key Publications

  1. Biomolecular Condensates and Cancer. Boija, A, Klein, IA, Young, RA. 2021. Cancer Cell 39, 174-192.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.12.003PMID:33417833
  2. RNA-Mediated Feedback Control of Transcriptional Condensates. Henninger, JE, Oksuz, O, Shrinivas, K, Sagi, I, LeRoy, G, Zheng, MM, Andrews, JO, Zamudio, AV, Lazaris, C, Hannett, NM et al.. 2021. Cell 184, 207-225.e24.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.030PMID:33333019
  3. Partitioning of cancer therapeutics in nuclear condensates. Klein, IA, Boija, A, Afeyan, LK, Hawken, SW, Fan, M, Dall'Agnese, A, Oksuz, O, Henninger, JE, Shrinivas, K, Sabari, BR et al.. 2020. Science 368, 1386-1392.
    doi: 10.1126/science.aaz4427PMID:32554597
  4. Transcription Factors Activate Genes through the Phase-Separation Capacity of Their Activation Domains. Boija, A, Klein, IA, Sabari, BR, Dall'Agnese, A, Coffey, EL, Zamudio, AV, Li, CH, Shrinivas, K, Manteiga, JC, Hannett, NM et al.. 2018. Cell 175, 1842-1855.e16.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.042PMID:30449618
  5. Coactivator condensation at super-enhancers links phase separation and gene control. Sabari, BR, Dall'Agnese, A, Boija, A, Klein, IA, Coffey, EL, Shrinivas, K, Abraham, BJ, Hannett, NM, Zamudio, AV, Manteiga, JC et al.. 2018. Science 361, .
    doi: 10.1126/science.aar3958PMID:29930091

Recent Publications

  1. Protein codes promote selective subcellular compartmentalization. Kilgore, HR, Chinn, I, Mikhael, PG, Mitnikov, I, Van Dongen, C, Zylberberg, G, Afeyan, L, Banani, SF, Wilson-Hawken, S, Lee, TI et al.. 2025. Science 387, 1095-1101.
    doi: 10.1126/science.adq2634PMID:39913643
  2. Proteolethargy is a pathogenic mechanism in chronic disease. Dall'Agnese, A, Zheng, MM, Moreno, S, Platt, JM, Hoang, AT, Kannan, D, Dall'Agnese, G, Overholt, KJ, Sagi, I, Hannett, NM et al.. 2025. Cell 188, 207-221.e30.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.051PMID:39610243
  3. An RNA-centric view of transcription and genome organization. Henninger, JE, Young, RA. 2024. Mol Cell 84, 3627-3643.
    doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.08.021PMID:39366351
  4. Protein codes promote selective subcellular compartmentalization. Kilgore, HR, Chinn, I, Mikhael, PG, Mitnikov, I, Van Dongen, C, Zylberberg, G, Afeyan, L, Banani, S, Wilson-Hawken, S, Lee, TI et al.. 2024. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2024.04.15.589616PMID:38659952
  5. Author Correction: Distinct chemical environments in biomolecular condensates. Kilgore, HR, Mikhael, PG, Overholt, KJ, Boija, A, Hannett, NM, Van Dongen, C, Lee, TI, Chang, YT, Barzilay, R, Young, RA et al.. 2023. Nat Chem Biol 19, 1561.
    doi: 10.1038/s41589-023-01491-3PMID:37880420
  6. Distinct chemical environments in biomolecular condensates. Kilgore, HR, Mikhael, PG, Overholt, KJ, Boija, A, Hannett, NM, Van Dongen, C, Lee, TI, Chang, YT, Barzilay, R, Young, RA et al.. 2024. Nat Chem Biol 20, 291-301.
    doi: 10.1038/s41589-023-01432-0PMID:37770698
  7. Transcription factors interact with RNA to regulate genes. Oksuz, O, Henninger, JE, Warneford-Thomson, R, Zheng, MM, Erb, H, Vancura, A, Overholt, KJ, Hawken, SW, Banani, SF, Lauman, R et al.. 2023. Mol Cell 83, 2449-2463.e13.
    doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.06.012PMID:37402367
  8. The dynamic clustering of insulin receptor underlies its signaling and is disrupted in insulin resistance. Dall'Agnese, A, Platt, JM, Zheng, MM, Friesen, M, Dall'Agnese, G, Blaise, AM, Spinelli, JB, Henninger, JE, Tevonian, EN, Hannett, NM et al.. 2022. Nat Commun 13, 7522.
    doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-35176-7PMID:36473871
  9. Genetic variation associated with condensate dysregulation in disease. Banani, SF, Afeyan, LK, Hawken, SW, Henninger, JE, Dall'Agnese, A, Clark, VE, Platt, JM, Oksuz, O, Hannett, NM, Sagi, I et al.. 2022. Dev Cell 57, 1776-1788.e8.
    doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.06.010PMID:35809564
  10. Learning the chemical grammar of biomolecular condensates. Kilgore, HR, Young, RA. 2022. Nat Chem Biol 18, 1298-1306.
    doi: 10.1038/s41589-022-01046-yPMID:35761089
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Photo credit: Gretchen Ertl/Whitehead Institute