Yvonne Yau

Project Investigator
Research Institute 

Dr. Yvonne Yau received her Medical Degree from the University of Toronto in 1989, and completed her Medical Microbiology Residency at the University of Toronto in 1994.

She is currently a Medical Microbiologist and a Project Investigator at SickKids. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathobiology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Research

Dr. Yau’s research focuses on the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens in cystic fibrosis (CF), as well as optimizing the diagnosis of paediatric infectious diseases. She is also investigating the use of novel antimicrobial agents/modalities in the treatment of CF patients with multi-drug resistant Gram negative bacterial pulmonary infections, and studying the role bacterial interactions on the formation of biofilm by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in CF patients. 

Education and experience

• 1989: MD, University of Toronto 
• 1994: FRCPC, Medical Microbiology 
• 2003 – present: Staff Microbiologist, SickKids
• 2008 – present: Assistant Professor, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto

Achievements

• 2011: Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine Teaching Award, SickKids
• 2019: Clinical Teaching Excellence Award in Fellowship Teaching, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto

 Funding

• 2020–2022: Anti-exopolysaccharide therapies to improve eradication of early Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis. GlycoNet Cycle II Collaborative Team Grant.
• 2020–2022: Improving the success of Pseudomonas aeruginosa eradication therapy in cystic fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 
• 2018–2020: Early Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis.  Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics
• 2017–2020: Next-Generation Antimicrobial Diagnostics: Speed and Precision via Whole Genome Sequencing. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC Partnered) 

1. Layeghifard M, H Li, PW Wang, B Coburn, ST Clark, Y Zhang, DE Tullis, YCW Yau, V Waters, DM Hwang, DS Guttman.  Microbiome Networks and Change-Point Analysis Reveal Associations between Anaerobic Bacteria and Cystic Fibrosis Pulmonary Exacerbations.  npj Biofilms and Microbiomes.
2. Diaz Caballero J, ST Clark, PW Wang, SL Donaldson, B Coburn, DE Tullis, YCW Yau, VJ Waters, DM Hwang, DS Guttman.  A Genome-Wide Association Analysis Reveals a Role for Recombination in the Evolution of Antimicrobial Resistance in Burkholderia multivorans.  PLOS Pathogen.  2018 Dec 7;14(12):e1007453.
3. Beaudoin, T, TA Stone, M Glibowicka, C Adams, Y Yau, H Grasemann, V Waters, and CM Deber.  Activity of the novel cationic antimicrobial peptide 6K-1 F17 against multidrug resistant cystic fibrosis Pseudonomas aeruginosa biofilms.  Scientific Report.  2018 Oct 3;8(1):14728.
4. Beaudoin T, Y Yau, P Stapleton, Y Gong, P Wang, D Guttman, V Waters. Staphylococcus aureus interaction with Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm associated with tobramycin resistance in cystic fibrosis. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes.   2017;3(25)
5. Yau YC, F Ratjen, E Tullis, P Wilcox, A Freitag, M Chilvers, H Grasemann, J Zlosnik, D Speert, M Corey, Sanja Stanojevic, L Matukas, TR Leahy, S Shih, V Waters. Randomized controlled trial of biofilm antimicrobial susceptibility testing in cystic fibrosis patients. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2015 Mar;14(2):262-6.