Jaya G Yodh

For More Information

• CI MED Profile
• Physics Profile
• Illinois Experts
• Linked-In

Education

• B.A. Biology, Concentration Biochemistry Cornell University 1987
• Ph.D. Biochemistry, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health 1993

Biography

Professor Yodh is a Teaching Professor and Associate Head in the Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences (BMTS) at Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her professional experience encompasses medical education and interdisciplinary teaching, research, and administration bridging biological and quantitative sciences. Since joining CI MED as an Inaugural Faculty in 2017, Dr. Yodh has held multiple educational roles in undergraduate medical curricula as a Co-Course Director of the Digestion-Nutrition-Metabolism, Foundations, and Synthesis & Summary courses, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Facilitator, Biochemistry Discipline Lead, and Life-Span Health Thread Co-Director.  Her educational scholarship focuses on integrative pedagogical methods integrating basic, clinical, engineering, and social sciences.  Her publications in medical education span a broad range of n topics from holistic approaches to board exam preparation (Yodh et.al., 2023) to online PBL (Coiado et.al., 2020). She is currently leading and participating in multi-institutional collaborations with the Association of Biochemistry Educators (ABE) to create novel educational tools for students and educators in the health professions that highlight the clinical relevance of the foundational sciences. Dr. Yodh has been recognized in the medical education community as the recipient of the 2022 International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Early Career Award for Excellence in Teaching and Innovation and the 2019 ABE Scholar Award. She currently serves as a member of the ABE Executive Board and ABE Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee, IAMSE Nominating Committee, and as Co-Convener for the AAMC Central Group on Educational Affairs (CGEA) Basic Science Education Special Interest Group (SIG). 

Prior to joining CI MED, Professor Yodh held positions on the Biochemistry Faculty at Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, Arizona from 1997-2006 where she taught students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, and Biomedical Sciences programs. She joined the UIUC faculty in 2006 holding positions as Research Faculty in the School of MCB (2006-2008) / Department of Physics (2008-present (0% since 2017)) and as Director of Education and Outreach for the NSF Physics Frontiers Center for the Physics of Living Cells (CPLC, 2008-2017). At Illinois, she taught Introductory Biochemistry and Experimental Biophysics Lab courses, and with the CPLC she directed advanced interdisciplinary research-based courses in biological physics including the globally recognized Physics of Living Cells Summer School, held at the Urbana campus from 2009-2017. Over the course of her career, Professor Yodh has published several studies investigating DNA repair enzymology and chromatin structural dynamics using ensemble biochemical and single-molecule biophysical approaches. Professor Yodh received her B.A. from Cornell University in 1987 and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1993. Her postdoctoral training, funded by an American Cancer Society Fellowship (1993-1997), was completed at Massachusetts General Hospital and Arizona State University.

Academic Positions

• Associate Head, Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, 2024-present
• Teaching Professor, Medical Education Facilitator, Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, 2023-present
• Affiliate Research Faculty, Department of Physics (0%) 2017-present
• Director of Education and Outreach, National Science Foundation Physics Frontiers Center for the Physics of Living Cells (CPLC), Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL. 2008-2017

Teaching Statement

AREAS OF EXPERTISE IN TEACHING

• Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Team-Based Learning (TBL) in medical education
• Course Directorship, Undergraduate Medical Education
• Teaching general and clinical biochemistry and nutrition, molecular and cellular biology to undergraduate, graduate, and health professional students.
• Interdisciplinary research-based curriculum in biological physics for early career researchers and undergraduates in physics, biophysics, engineering, life sciences, chemistry disciplines.

Resident Instruction

• BSE 632 Respiratory FA 2018-2020, 2022-2024
• BSE 612 Foundations SU 2023-2024 (Course Director)
• BSE 638 Endocrinology, Genitourinary, and Women's Health SU/FA 2020-2024
• BSE 635 Musculoskeletal SP 2019-2023
• BSE 645 (Phase 1) Synthesis and Summary SP 2020-2024 (Course Director)
• BSE 642 Hematology, Oncology, Infection, and Immunity FA 2020-2024
• BSE 655 Discovery Learning Research Elective SU 2021
• BSE 612 Foundations: Molecules to Populations SU 2020-2022 (Course Director 2022)
• BSE 643 Immunology & Infection FA 2020
• BSE 642 Hematology & Oncology FA 2020
• BSE 641 Obstetrics FA 2019
• BSE 640 Women's Health FA 2019
• BSE 639 Genitourinary SU 2019
• BSE 638 Endocrinology SU 2019
• BSE 636 Digestion, Nutrition, and Metabolism SP 2020, Course Director 2024-present
• BSE 637 Nutrition and Metabolism SP 2019
• BSE 636 Digestion SP 2019
• BSE 634 Clinical Neuroscience SP 2019, 2020, 2021
• BSE 633 Renal FA 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• BSE 631 Cardiovascular FA 2018, 2019, 2020
• BSE 613 Population Health SU 2018
• BSE 612 Foundational Elements SU 2021
• PHY 598/498 Biophysics Lab SP 2017
• MCB 450 Introductory Biochemistry SU 2008

Other Instructional Activities

• CIMED Lifespan Health Longitudinal Curricular ThreadThread Co-Director 2022-present
• CI MED Course Director, Foundations 2023-2024; Foundations: Molecules to Populations, 2021-2022
• CIMED Co-Course Director, Phase 1 Synthesis and Summary - USMLE Step 1 Review Course, 2017-2024
• CIMED Biochemistry Discipline Lead, CIMED, 2017-present
• CI MED Interim Basic Science Course Co-Director, Endocrinology, CIMED, 2016

Course Development

• 2017-2019 Facilitator Point Person for Carle Illinois College of Medicine Courses: Foundational Elements, Renal, Nutrition and Metabolism Endocrinology, Hematology-Oncology

Research Interests

• Curricular Innovations in Medical Education: Integration of Foundational Sciences with Clinical Sciences and Engineering; Problem-Based Learning (PBL)-based research; USMLE Step 1 Review Methods, Nutritional Health Sciences, Biophysics and Medicine
• Application of single-molecule biophysical tools to investigate mechanism and regulation of genome maintenance and gene expression by DNA structural dynamics. Biological systems studied include human Bloom Syndrome DNA repair helicase, G-quadruplex structures, and chromatin structure & dynamics.

Chapters in Books

• Yodh, J. (2013) ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2013;767:263-95.

Selected Articles in Journals

• Yodh, J.G., Jaleel, A. & Wallon, R.C. Improving Student Experiences During USMLE Step 1 “Dedicated Preparation Period” via a Course Designed to Holistically Support Academic and Wellness Needs. Med.Sci.Educ. (2023).
• Coiado OC, Yodh J, Galvez R, Ahmad K. “How COVID-19 Transformed Problem-Based Learning at Carle Illinois College of Medicine.” Medical Science Educator, 1-2. 24 Aug. 2020.
• Budhathoki, J., Maleki, P., Roy, W.A., Janscak, P., Yodh, J. G.*, Balci, H.* (2016) A Comparative Study of G-quadruplex Unfolding and DNA Reeling Activities of Human RECQ5 Helicase. Biophysical Journal 110 (12):2585–2596.
• Budhathoki, J.B., Stafford, E.J., Yodh, J.G.,* and Balci, H.,* (2015) ATP-dependent G-quadruplex unfolding by Bloom helicase exhibits low processivity. Nucleic Acids Research doi: 10.1093/nar/gkv531.
• Thuy T.M. Ngo, T.T.M, Zhang,Q., Zhou,R., Yodh,J.*, and Ha, T.* (2015) Asymmetric Unwrapping of Nucleosomes under Tension Directed by DNA Local Flexibility. Cell 160 (6):1135-1144
• Budhathoki,J.B., Ray,S., Urban,V., Janscak, P.,Yodh,J.G.*, and Balci, H.* (2014) RecQ-core of BLM unfolds telomeric G-quadruplex in the absence of ATP. Nucleic Acids Research 42 (18):11528-11545.
• Yodh J.G., Schlierf, M., Ha, T. (2010) In sight into helicase mechanism and function revealed through single-molecule approaches. Quarterly Review of Biophysics 43(2):185-217
• Kelbauskas L, Yodh J, Woodbury N, Lohr D. (2009), Intrinsic promoter nucleosome stability/dynamics variations support a novel targeting mechanism. Biochemistry 48(20):4217-9
• Yodh, J.G., B.C. Stevens, K. Radhakrishnan, P. Janscak and T. Ha, (2009) BLM helicase measures DNA unwound before switching strands and hRPA promotes unwinding reinitiation. The EMBO Journal 28: 405-416.
• Lohr, D., Bash, R., Wang, H. Yodh, J., and S. Lindsay (2007). Using atomic force microscopy to study chromatin structure and nucleosome remodeling. Methods 41(3): 333-341.
• Solis, F. J., Bash, R.,Wang, H., Yodh, J., Lindsay, S. A., and Lohr, D. (2007) Properties of nucleosomes in acetylated mouse mammary tumor virus versus 5S Arrays. Biochemistry 46(19), 5623-5634.
• Kelbauskas, L., Chan, N., Bash, R., Yodh, J. Woodbury, N., and D. Lohr (2007). Sequence-dependent nucleosome structure and stability variations detected by Forster Resonance Energy Transfer. Biochemistry 46(8): 2239-48.
• R. Bash, H. Wang, C. Anderson, J. Yodh, G. Hager, S.M. Lindsay, and D. Lohr (2006), "AFM imaging of proteins movements: Histone H2A-H2B release during nucleosome remodeling." FEBS Letters 580: 4757-4761.
• Lovullo, D., Daniel, D., Yodh, J., Lohr, D., and Woodbury, N.W. (2005) A fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based probe to monitor nucleosome structure.” Analytical Biochemistry 341, 165-172.
• H. Wang, R. Bash, J. G. Yodh, G. Hager, S. M. Lindsay, and D. Lohr (2004). Using Atomic Force Microscopy to Study Nucleosome Remodeling on Individual Nucleosomal Arrays in Situ. Biophysical J. 87, 1964-1971.
• Solis, F. J., Bash, R., Yodh, J., Lindsay, S. M., and Lohr, D. (2004) A Statistical Thermodynamic Model Applied to Experimental AFM Population and Location Data Is Able to Quantify DNA-Histone Binding Strength and Internucleosomal Interaction Differences between Acetylated and Unacetylated Nucleosomal Arrays. Biophysical J. 87, 3372-3387.
• Bash, R., Wang, H., Yodh, J., Hager, G., Lindsay, S. M., and Lohr, D. (2003) Nucleosomal arrays can be salt-reconstituted on a single-copy MMTV promoter DNA template: Their properties differ in several ways from those of comparable 5S concatameric arrays. Biochemistry 42(16), 4681 - 4690.
• Wang, H., Bash, R., Yodh, J. G., Hager, G. L., Lohr, D., and Lindsay, S. M. (2002) Glutaraldehyde modified mica: A new surface for atomic force microscopy of chromatin. Biophysical J. 83, 3619-3625.
• Yodh, J. G., Woodbury, N., Shlyatenko, L., Lyubchenko, Y., and Lohr, D. (2002) Mapping nucleosome locations on the 208-12 by AFM provides clear evidence for cooperativity in array occupation. Biochemistry 41(11), 3565-3574.
• Bash, R., Yodh, J. G., Lyubchenko, Y., Woodbury, N., and Lohr, D. (2001) Population analysis of subsaturated 172-12 nucleosomal arrays by atomic force microscopy detects nonrandom behavior that is favored by histone acetylation and short repeat length. J. Biol. Chem. 276(51), 48362-48370
• Yodh, J.G., Lyubchenko, Y., Shlyatenko, L, Woodbury, N., and Lohr, D (1999) Evidence for non-random behavior in 208-12 subsaturated nucleosomal array populations analyzed by AFM. Biochemistry 38(48),15764-15733.
• Yodh, J. G. and Bryant, F. R. (1993) Kinetics of ATP hydrolysis during the DNA helicase II - promoted unwinding of duplex DNA. Biochemistry 32, 7765-7771.
• Winter, W. P., Seale, W., and Yodh, J. (1984) Interaction of hemoglobin S with anionic polysaccharides. Amer. J. Pediatric Hematology Oncology. 6 (1), 77-82.
• Winter, W. P. and Yodh, J. (1983) Interaction of human hemoglobin and its variants with agar. Science 221, 175-178.

Magazine Articles

• IL Alumni Magazine Spring 2020 In-Class Profile - Medical Education Facilitator
• Discover Magazine Galleries 2018 Microscopy : Cambion,' by Jaya G. Yodh, IGB Core Facilities
• 2015 IGB Research - Scientists-find-DNA-packaged-yoyo

Conferences Organized or Chaired

• Yodh, J. (Lead), Spicer, D., Zaidi, A., Abali, E., Joshi, V., “Creating a Clinical-Biochemistry Thread Map Across Pre-Clerkship and Clerkship Curriculum.” Workshop B-02 Leader, May 3, 2021 at The Association of Biochemistry Educators/Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (ABE/APHMG) Joint Virtual Meeting, May 3-7, 2021.
• Spicer, D (Lead)., Baleja, J., Binstock, J., Joshi, V., Zaidi, A., Abali, E., Sharkady, S., Manzerra, P., Yodh, J., “Finding the Clinical Relevance in the ABE Learning Objectives.” Workshop B-03 Facilitator, May 4, 2021 at The Association of Biochemistry Educators/Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics (ABE/APHMG) Joint Virtual Meeting, May 3-7, 2021.