Welcome!
Computational protein design refers to the implementation of the physical forces and interactions that govern protein behavior into computational algorithms and models, which can then be used to predictably design new proteins with a desired structure and function. In recent years, this has enabled the development of highly stable "miniproteins" which do not exist in nature, capable of targeting tumor antigens. Our ultimate goal is to advance this field translationally, enabling a new paradigm for cancer immunotherapy that is safer and more efficacious than traditional therapies.
Publications
Featured Publication
Silva DA, Yu S, Ulge UY, Spangler JB, Jude KM, Labão-Almeida C, Ali LR, Quijano-Rubio A, Ruterbusch M, Leung I, Biary T, Crowley SJ, Marcos E, Walkey CD, Weitzner BD, Pardo-Avila F, Castellanos J, Carter L, Stewart L, Riddell SR, Pepper M, Bernardes GJL, Dougan M, Garcia KC, Baker D. De Novo Design of Potent and Selective Interleukin Mimetics. Nature. 2019;565(778):186-191.
All Publications
See Dr. Yu's complete list of publications on PubMed.
Recent Publications
- Kinjo T, Yu S, Nicely N, Leaver-Fay A, Kim WY, Kuhlman B. Computational design of orthogonal TCR α/β interfaces for dual-TCR therapeutics. bioRxiv. Preprint posted online January 2, 2026:2026.01.02.697397.
- Jensen JL, Peterson SK, Sambaje MJ, Alley JR, Yu S, Kinjo T, Bennett SN, Vensko SP, Shrabrag M, DeBetta JD, Geyer JK, Price BA, Nickel KP, Kimple RJ, Kotecha RS, Herring LE, Davis IJ, Wang JR, French CA, Kuhlman B, Weiss J, Rubinstein A, Vincent BG. Shared PRAME epitopes are T-cell targets in NUT carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer. 2026;14(2).
Lab News
Summer 2026: Dr. Shawn Yu has joined the Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation at the University of Iowa! We are officially establishing our research program. Stay tuned for more!