About

Yuhua Wang is the Frederick S. Danziger Associate Professor of Government at Harvard University, affiliated with the Department of Government and the Committee on Regional Studies - East Asia. Her academic interests include state building, historical political economy, repression, corruption, and Chinese politics. She is based at Harvard's Cambridge campus and can be contacted via email at yuhuawang@fas.harvard.edu or by phone at (617) 496-2750. Her work focuses on understanding the political dynamics within China, particularly in relation to state development, governance, and political behavior.

Research topics

• Virology
• Biology
• Immunology
• Medicine
• Microbiology
• Genetics
• Internal medicine
• Pathology

Selected publications

• Attenuated replication and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 Omicron

  Nature · 647 citations

  • Virology
  • Biology
  • Microbiology

  Abstract The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2 emerged in November 2021 and is rapidly spreading among the human population1. Although recent reports reveal that the Omicron variant robustly escapes vaccine-associated and therapeutic neutralization antibodies2–10, the pathogenicity of the virus remains unknown. Here we show that the replication of Omicron is substantially attenuated in human Calu3 and Caco2 cells. Further mechanistic investigations reveal that Omicron is inefficient in its use of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) compared with wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (HKU-001a) and previous variants, which may explain its reduced replication in Calu3 and Caco2 cells. The replication of Omicron is markedly attenuated in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts of infected K18-hACE2 mice compared with that of the wild-type strain and Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, resulting in its substantially ameliorated lung pathology. Compared with wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (1.351) and Delta variants, infection by Omicron causes the lowest reduction in body weight and the lowest mortality rate. Overall, our study demonstrates that the replication and pathogenicity of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in mice is attenuated compared with the wild-type strain and other variants.

  DOI

• Silencing OGFOD1 ameliorates hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury through abrogating oxidative stress and apoptosis via downregulating SPARC

  Biochemical Pharmacology · 2026-01-18

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Electrosynthesis of benzoxazoles from <i>o</i> -nitrophenols and alcohols

  Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry · 2026-01-01

  article

  -nitrophenols and alcohols in an undivided cell. This electrocatalytic reaction makes full use of both anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction, obviating the requirement for metal catalysts or chemical oxidants. Mechanistic investigations including control experiments and cyclic voltammetry suggest an intermolecular electrochemical redox/cyclization pathway.

  PublisherDOI

• Association Between Fluoride Exposure and Asthma Among <scp>US</scp> Children and Adolescents

  Allergy · 2026-01-16 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Asthma is one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases, affecting 4.7 million United States (US) children. Its prevalence varies greatly across regions and countries, highlighting the potential role of local environmental factors. Approximately 62.8% of the US population receives fluoridated water [1]. Toxicological evidence shows that fluoride can induce lung damage through mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammation [2]. Additionally, high fluoride exposure may alter oral and gut microbiomes, which have been linked to immune function and asthma susceptibility [3, 4]. Although occupational exposure to fluoride has been associated with asthmatic symptoms [5], no study has explored the association between fluoride exposure and asthma among children or adolescents. Therefore, we explored whether fluoride exposure was associated with asthma risk among a US-representative sample of children and adolescents, stratified by tobacco smoke exposure—a strong risk factor for asthma. Detailed methodological information is shown in the Supplementary Text. Briefly, in 2013–2016, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) measured fluoride concentrations in plasma, urine, and drinking water, collected information on fluoride supplementation, and assessed dental fluorosis among 5451 children and adolescents aged 6–19 years. We excluded those who did not complete the physical examination (n = 5) or had missing cotinine data (n = 39), leaving 5407 participants for the present study (Figure 1A and Table S1). Confounders were selected using a Directed Acyclic Graph (Figure S1). In the primary analysis with adjustment for confounders, we found positive dose–response relationships between quartiles of plasma fluoride concentrations and ever asthma risk among participants who consumed tobacco products or had serum cotinine exceeding 1 ng/mL (p = 0.006; Figure 2A). In a study conducted in Turkey, Sezgin and colleagues examined asthma prevalence among 30 children living in a village with high drinking-water fluoride concentrations and found that asthma frequency was similar to national estimates [6]. However, its sample size is extremely small. Additionally, this study did not account for key covariates (e.g., tobacco exposure). In our present study, we found a high relative excess risk of ever asthma due to the interaction between plasma fluoride and tobacco exposure (P for additive interaction = 0.005), suggesting that fluoride may exacerbate the effects of tobacco exposure on asthma. In a secondary analysis by considering recent asthmatic episodes, we found a suggestive dose–response relationship between plasma fluoride and current asthma risk among participants exposed to tobacco smoke (p = 0.07; Figure 2A). Fluoride supplement intake and dental fluorosis were also associated with an increased current asthma risk, especially among participants exposed to tobacco smoke (p = 0.03 and 0.09, respectively). Fluoride supplement intake reflects long-term exposure, whereas dental fluorosis represents an irreversible biomarker of early childhood exposure. In contrast, drinking-water fluoride reflects recent external exposure levels, which were unrelated to asthma in our study population (Figure 2A). This is not unexpected given the low predictive power of drinking-water fluoride for plasma fluoride (Figure 1C). Both plasma and urinary fluoride reflect internal exposure status, but plasma fluoride represents the circulating fraction most likely to interact with target tissues and pathways relevant to asthma. A lack of association for urinary fluoride in relation to asthma may also partly reflect its high within-person variability. The association of plasma fluoride and asthma was further confirmed using spline models and population-averaged predicted probability estimates (Figure 2B,C). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results when additionally adjusting for examination sessions and sampling seasons, replacing missing covariates using the multiple imputation method, excluding participants with renal impairment, and using an alternative cotinine cutoff (3 ng/mL) (Figure S2). There are several limitations. First, NHANES is a cross-sectional survey, which cannot directly establish causal relationships. Second, uncontrolled confounding (e.g., duration of exposure, recent dental procedures, co-exposure to other chemicals) cannot be fully ruled out. However, the relatively large E-values suggest that our findings are unlikely to be fully explained away by unmeasured or unknown confounders (Table S2). Third, chance findings cannot be fully excluded due to multiple tests. Nevertheless, we are reassured by existing toxicological and epidemiological evidence and the consistency in results across sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, our findings underscore the importance of reevaluating current fluoridation standards in water supply systems and reducing exposure to both known (tobacco smoke) and inadvertent (fluoride) risk factors of asthma among young populations. However, additional longitudinal studies are needed to validate our novel findings. Q.X. and Y.S. analyzed the data. Q.X. and Y.-X.W. drafted the manuscript. Y.-X.W. and Y.J.Y. led the study conception, study design, analysis plan, and interpretation of findings. C.M., C.Y.D., Y.Z., V.M., C.L., K.Y.S., and J.L. validated the accuracy of data analysis with a technical review. All authors contributed to interpreting results and critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content. We acknowledge the participants in the study. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 82473581]. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The data that support the findings of this study are available in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) at https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/Default.aspx. These data were derived from the following resources available in the public domain: NHANES 2013–2014, https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/default.aspx?BeginYear=2013: NHANES 2015–2016, https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/default.aspx?BeginYear=2015. Figure S1: The final directed acyclic graph (DAG) depicting the assumed causal relationships between fluoride exposure (including plasma, urine, and drinking water samples, fluoride supplement use, and dental fluorosis) and asthma, and their covariates. In the final DAG, each node (i.e., each circle) represents a specific variable, and a directed edge (i.e., a line with an arrow) between a pair of nodes represents a causal relationship between them, starting from the cause and ending at the outcome. In the centre of the DAG figure, the green node of fluoride exposure is the exposure variable, the blue node of asthma is the outcome variable, and the green line between them represents the causal path of interest in this study. Finally, we identified the following confounding factors: age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) z-score, family income to poverty ratio, survey cycle, Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores, tobacco smoke exposure, examination session, sampling seasons, and family history of asthma. Although family history of asthma was not associated with exposure, given that it had a significant impact on the outcome, we ultimately adjusted for family history of asthma in the analysis. Figure S2: Sensitivity analyses for the associations of fluoride exposure with ever and current asthma according to tobacco smoke exposure (NHANES, 2013–2016). (A) Models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) z-score, family income to poverty ratio, family history of asthma, survey cycle, Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores, tobacco smoke exposure, examination sessions, and sampling seasons. (B) Multiple imputation methods were used instead of imputing missing covariates, with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) z-score, family income to poverty ratio, family history of asthma, survey cycles, Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores, and tobacco smoke exposure. (C) Associations between creatinine-adjusted urinary fluoride concentrations and asthma after excluding participants with renal impairment, which is defined as having a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) of ≥ 30 mg/g. (D) Associations between plasma fluoride exposure and asthma according to active smoking (active smokers were defined as those who recently consumed tobacco/nicotine products or whose serum cotinine concentrations exceeded 3 ng/mL). (E) The interaction between plasma fluoride exposure and serum cotinine concentrations on asthma risk. CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; Q, quartile; RERI: relative excess risk due to interaction. Two groups were created based on plasma fluoride concentrations (< 25th and ≥ 25th) to assess the additive interaction. Table S1: Characteristics of study participants according to fluoride exposure (NHANES, 2013–2016). Table S2: The E-value to assess the potential effect of unmeasured confounding for the associations between fluoride exposure and asthma according to tobacco smoke exposure among children and adolescents (NHANES, 2013–2016). Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The impact of information technology applications on the quality of life of disabled older adults in nursing homes in China: a qualitative study

  Frontiers in Public Health · 2025-04-07 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Objective China’s smart aging policy system has been evolving to become more comprehensive, continuously promoting the application of information technology in nursing homes. This study explores the adaptation process and experiences of disabled older adults with the use of information technology in nursing homes from four perspectives: physiological, psychological, social, and environmental, and examines its impact on their quality of life. Methods An interpretative phenomenological approach was adopted, with purposive sampling used to recruit participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 disabled older adults, and the data were analyzed using Van Manen’s phenomenology of practice method. Results Four main themes and 16 sub-themes were identified: Physical Health and Functional Capacity: subjective health perception, physical functioning, chronic disease management, sleep quality, and nutritional status; Psychological Wellbeing and Emotional Support: attitudes toward aging, negative emotions, emotional companionship, and sense of meaning in life; Social Relationships and Social Engagement: interactions with family and friends, participation in social activities, social roles, and social support; and Environmental Adaptation and Digital Challenges: safety and comfort of the living environment, ease of independent mobility, the ‘digital divide’, and protection of personal privacy and data. Conclusion The application of information technology in nursing homes in China has partially resolved longstanding issues in traditional older adults care, such as inaccurate health management, lack of personalized and diverse services, and inefficient resource allocation. These advancements have contributed to improving the quality of life for older adults in nursing homes. However, new challenges have emerged, including the ‘digital divide,’ data misuse, and privacy breaches. To fully leverage the benefits of information technology, it is crucial to enhance the digital literacy of disabled older adults, provide robust technical support during implementation, and prioritize data security and privacy protection. These measures will help maximize the positive effects of information technology on the quality of life of disabled older adults.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Single-atom Pt Doped Nanoceria for Enhanced Cell Phagocytosis and Nanozyme Activities in Keratitis Immune Regulation

  Research Square · 2025-10-06

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Organophosphate Flame Retardants, Obesity, and Depressive Symptoms among 1019 Young Healthy Men

  Environment & Health · 2025-06-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) can increase fat accumulation and exert neurotoxic effects. In this study, we enrolled 1019 young men who provided 3,550 urine samples over a 3-month follow-up period. We measured nine OPFR metabolite concentrations in urine samples and assessed depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire. In the fully adjusted linear regression models, a 2.7-fold increase in urinary diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) concentrations was associated with a 0.44 unit (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06, 0.82) higher depressive symptom scores. When men were categorized as having any depressive symptoms (score: > 10 vs ≤ 10), Poisson regression models showed an increased risk of depression across DPHP tertiles (Ptrend = 0.08). Further, we found stronger associations between urinary OPFR metabolite concentrations and depressive symptom scores among men with a higher waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, or waist-height ratio (Pinteraction < 0.15). The machine learning algorithm identified three different patterns of obesity, and the strongest association between urinary DPHP concentrations and depressive symptom scores was observed among men with a waist-hip ratio of ≥ 0.89 and a body mass index of <24 kg/m2. In summary, exposure to OPFRs may be associated with depressive symptoms among young men, especially in those with abdominal obesity.

  PublisherDOI

• Predicting psychological distress in informal caregivers of older people with dementia: development and interpretation of a nomogram and XGBoost model

  BMC Nursing · 2025-10-22 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Most informal caregivers of older people with dementia (PwD) experience a high level of psychological distress, which significantly impacts caregivers' psychosomatic health. Effective identification and timely intervention for psychological distress are of great significance for improving the psychosomatic health of informal caregivers. However, there is a lack of predictive models for psychological distress in this population. This study aims to develop and interpret nomogram and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models to predict the psychological distress of informal caregivers of PwD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study collected 485 pairs of PwD and informal caregivers from October 2023 to September 2024. Participants were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts (7:3 ratio). We constructed nomogram and XGBoost models to predict psychological distress. The nomogram was subsequently developed into an online web calculator, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was employed to enhance the XGBoost model's interpretability. RESULTS: The final models included six predictors: caregivers' social support, caregivers' employment situation, caregivers' average daily care duration, caregivers' monthly family income, caregivers' self-efficacy and PwD's chronic disease. The area under the curve (AUC) of nomogram and XGBoost models in the validation cohort were 0.882 (95%CI: 0.825-0.939) and 0.884 (95%CI: 0.829-0.939) respectively. Two models exhibited good calibration and clinical utility. SHAP analysis identified caregivers' social support as the most influential predictor of psychological distress in XGBoost model. CONCLUSION: The nomogram and XGBoost models developed in this study offer valuable tools for predicting psychological distress in informal caregivers of PwD. The nomogram-based web calculator could be an effective tool for predicting the risk of psychological distress in practice. Our interpretable XGBoost model provides valuable insights into individualized intervention strategies for psychological distress. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable. This study is an observational study without involving any interventions or treatment methods. Therefore, this study does not meet the definition of a clinical trial and does not require registration of a clinical trial number.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A porcine model of realistic closed-head impacts with multiple-timepoint MRI

  Proceedings on CD-ROM - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Scientific Meeting and Exhibition/Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Scientific Meeting and Exhibition · 2025-09-16

  article

  Motivation: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a global health challenge, yet its mechanism is not understood. Human post-impact imaging is multi-factorial and variable. Studies to unveil the local brain injury cascade are needed. Goal(s): To present a porcine model of realistic human-mimicking head impacts with multiple MRI timepoints and histologic validation. Approach: A linear impactor delivers a head impact leading to high rotational accelerations. We record biomechanics and perform detailed pre-/post-impact MR on a human scanner, ex vivo MR, coregistered histology, and finite-element modeling (FEM). Results: We identify injury on in vivo and ex vivo MRI, predict with FEM, and validate with pathology. Impact: Our novel large-animal linear-impact head impact model can detect injury with pre- and post-impact in vivo and ex vivo MRI, pathology, and finite-element modeling. This paradigm can uncover the microstructural, biomechanical, and molecular mechanism of head impact-induced brain injury.

  PublisherDOI

• Effect of levothyroxine treatment on serum lipids and pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with isolated hypothyroxinemia

  Scientific Reports · 2025-04-04 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  374 pregnant women with isolated hypothyroxinemia (IH) who were ≤ 20 weeks were included retrospectively in this study. Based on the confirmed gestational age and the use of levothyroxine (LT4), the patients were divided into the treated group (T1 group) and untreated group (C1 group) in first trimester (≤ 13+ 6 weeks), the treated group(T2 group) and untreated group (C2 group) in second trimester (14–20 weeks). Data on thyroid function and lipid indices was collected both before and after LT4 treatment. To compare the thyroid function, lipid indices and pregnancy outcomes after LT4 treatment. There was a negative correlation between FT4 levels and TC and LDL levels in the first trimester (P<0.05). FT4 and HDL levels in T1 group were significantly increased, and TSH, TC, TG and LDL levels were decreased, compared to C1 group (P < 0.05). FT4 levels in T2 group were higher than C2 group, and there was no significant difference in other indicators. The risk of spontaneous abortion, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and macrosomia in T1 group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between T2 and C2 groups. Thus, LT4 treatment can improve the level of FT4 and lipids and reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with IH in the first trimester.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant F32AI009382

  NIH · $44k

Frequent coauthors

• Wen‐Qing Lu

  Huazhong University of Science and Technology

  168 shared

• Qiang Zeng

  China Southern Power Grid (China)

  134 shared

• Ying‐Jun Chen

  Guangdong Pharmaceutical University

  119 shared

• Chong Liu

  Huazhong University of Science and Technology

  107 shared

• Pan Yang

  Jinan University

  101 shared

• An Pan

  Huazhong University of Science and Technology

  78 shared

• Vicente Mustieles

  Universidad de Granada

  65 shared

• Jorge E. Chavarro

  64 shared

Education

• Ph.D. , Environmental and Occupational Health

  Huazhong University of Science and Technology

  2017