Dear colleagues,

We are happy to announce that UTMB MD-PhD student, Jason Yeung, is the newest Jess Hay Chancellor’s Fellow. Mr. Yeung is currently investigating the neurological effects of long COVID-19 with the goal of translating this research into treatments that help affected patients. He will receive $15,000 to put toward his biomedical research endeavors.

Established by former UT System Regent Jess Hay, who passed away in 2015, the Jess Hay Endowment for Chancellor’s Graduate Student Research Fellowships are awarded each year to four graduate students attending UT institutions. The awards rotate annually among institutions and recognize outstanding doctoral-level graduate students whose studies benefit the state of Texas.  

Mr. Yeung is a native Houstonian who transitioned from a career in the arts as a professional ballet dancer to future physician-scientist. After completing a Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences at Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in infectious disease and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Yeung started the MD-PhD Combined Degree Program at UTMB in 2020. Inspired by the devastating effects of SARS-CoV-2, he joined Dr. Xuping Xie’s lab within the Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, ultimately integrating both his biomedical research and medical education. 

Mr. Yeung has successfully completed two years of medical school and is in his second year of graduate studies. He has already distinguished himself as a published scientist, authoring 10 scholarly publications. He has presented his work at national conferences and symposia, and he is the recipient of numerous academic awards.

Mr. Yeung volunteers at the UTMB student-run clinic, St. Vincent’s House, and keeps his connection to the arts as a board member and research consultant for the non-profit Dance Data Project, focused on gender equity in dance.

Mr. Yeung has a bright future, and we are lucky to have him attending the UTMB Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the John Sealy School of Medicine. We look forward to his contributions helping Texas and the nation treat current patients of long COVID and prepare for the next viral outbreak.  

Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD

President, The University of Texas Medical Branch

CEO, UTMB Health System

Professor, John Sealy School of Medicine