About me

Vision and Academic Leadership Dr. Wei-Chung Vivian Yang is a distinguished scientist and entrepreneur dedicated to bridging the gap between bench-side research and bedside clinical application. Currently serving as a Full Professor in the Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine at Taipei Medical University (TMU), Dr. Yang has spent over a decade cultivating an ecosystem where physician-scientists use cutting-edge research to solve complex, unsolved clinical problems.

Collaborative Leadership in Translational Infrastructure Dr. Yang’s journey in translational medicine is deeply rooted in her research on identifying new biomarkers and early diagnostic methods for Endometriosis. This work required extensive collection of clinical specimens, which allowed her to build invaluable experience collaborating with clinical physicians and medical laboratory experts.

Leveraging this practical expertise, Dr. Yang was honored to be invited to join the team tasked with planning Taipei Medical University’s research Biobank. Contributing to this collective effort, she worked alongside clinical and IT experts to bridge the gap between bench research and clinical data. To date, the TMU-Biobank has grown into a robust repository, collecting more than 10,000 new cases annually (primarily oncological) and managing a wide array of biospecimens ranging from tissue samples to isolated DNA. Under this collaborative framework, the infrastructure successfully integrates Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and pathology records into the TMU Clinical Research Database (TMU-CRD), providing critical support for high-impact research across both academia and the biotech industry. In addition, to cultivate the next generation of physician-scientists, Dr. Yang played a key role in the conceptualization and establishment of The Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, serving as the inaugural Director.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Women’s Health Driven by a lifelong commitment to women’s reproductive medicine, Dr. Yang founded V-CHECK in 2017. As a CEO (2018-2024), she leads a team focused on developing first-in-class in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products aimed at improving global women’s health from youth through elderly care. Her work successfully translates complex laboratory inventions into patient-centered, reliable diagnostic tools. 

Research Interests: Translational Medicine in Women’s Health

Foundations in Biomarker Discovery and Bi-directional Translational Research My research career is dedicated to the identification and clinical application of protein biomarkers for female-specific cancers and reproductive diseases. My laboratory is among the few capable of conducting bi-directional translational medicine, integrating "Dry Lab" bioinformatic analysis with "Wet Lab" experimental validation. A cornerstone of my past work involves identifying novel biomarkers for endometriosis and breast cancer. Most recently, my team published high-impact research in Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters—a journal ranked Q1 and among the top in the fields of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology—elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which long-term Benzodiazepine use exacerbates breast cancer risk. This study utilized our proprietary 1516-gene Extracellular Matrix (ECM)-related functional database and CRISPR-Cas9 technology to clarify how GABAA3 receptors regulate specific ECM genes. My commitment to early diagnosis has led to international recognition, including invitations from the NIH and APEC to share my research on women's health care and disease prevention.

About Our Lab

Led by Dr. Vivian Yang—a distinguished scientist, educator, and entrepreneur —our team is at the forefront of Bi-directional Translational Medicine. We specialize in identifying novel protein biomarkers for female-specific cancers and reproductive diseases, such as endometriosis and breast cancer.

Our laboratory offers a unique multidisciplinary environment where:

• Dry Lab meets Wet Lab: We integrate large-scale bioinformatic analysis with experimental validation using cutting-edge technologies.
• Data-Driven Discovery: We leverage the TMU Clinical Research Database (TMU-CRD) and our proprietary 1516-gene Extracellular Matrix (ECM) database to solve complex clinical problems.
• Entrepreneurial Vision: We focus on developing affordable and accessible in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tools to improve global women’s health