1982年毕业于山东大学生物系，1985年于中国科学院上海细胞生物学研究所获硕士学位，1991年于美国贝勒医学院获博士学位

1991年至1996年于美国耶鲁大学师从Sidney Altman教授（1989年诺贝尔奖获得者）从事博士后研究工作，1997年起，在美国宾夕法尼亚大学口腔医学院微生物系先后任助理教授、副教授和正教授。2010年12月任中山大学医学院人类病毒研究所教授、博导。

现已在国际著名专业期刊发表学术论文40余篇，参与著作撰写4部 1. Wang, Y., Sathish, N., Hollow, C. and Yuan, Y. (2011) Functional Characterization of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus ORF K8 by Bacterial Artificial Chromosome-Based Mutagenesis. J. Virol. 85: 1943-1957.

2. Sathish, N., Zhu, F. X., Golub, E. E., Liang, Q. and Yuan, Y. (2011) Mechanisms of auto-inhibition of IRF-7 and a probable model for inactivation of IRF-7 by Kaposi′s Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus protein ORF45. J. Biol. Chem. 286: 746-756.

3. Zhu, F.X., Sathish, N. and Yuan, Y. (2010) Antagonism of Host Antiviral Responses by Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus Tegument Protein ORF45. PLoSONE 5(5): e10573.

4. Sathish, N., Zhu, F.X. and Yuan, Y. (2009) Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus ORF45 Interacts with Kinesin-2 Transporting Viral Capsid-Tegument Complexes along Microtubules. PLoS Pathogens5(3): e1000332.

5. Rozen, R., Sathish, N., Li, Y. and Yuan, Y. (2008) Virion-wide protein interactions of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. J. Virol. 82: 4742-4750.

6. Wang, Y., Li, H., Hollow, C. and Yuan, Y. (2008) Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus ori-Lyt-dependent DNA Replication: Involvement of Cellular Factors in the Replication. J. Virol. 82: 2867-2882.

7. Zhu, F. X., Chong, J. M., Wu, L. and Yuan, Y. (2005) Virion Proteins of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus. J. Virol. 79:800-811.

8. Wang, Y., Li, H., Chan, M. Y., Lukac, D. M. and Yuan, Y. (2004) Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus ori-Lyt-dependent DNA Replication: cis-acting Requirements for the Replication and ori-Lyt-associated RNA Transcription. J. Virol. 78: 8615-8629.

9. Lin, C., Li, H., Wang, Y, Kudchodkar, S., Zhu, F. X. and Yuan, Y. (2003) Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus ori-Lyt-dependent DNA replication: Identification of the ori-Lyt and association of K8 bZip protein with the origin. J. Virol.77: 5578-5588.

10. Zhu, F. X., King, S. M., Smith, E. J., Levy, D. E. and Yuan, Y. (2002) A Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesviral protein inhibits virus-mediated induction of type I interferon by blocking IRF-7 phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 5573-5578.