Yuan's primary research focuses on the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change (ADNC) in the brain parenchyma of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). She has received clinical training in neurology and then completed her PhD at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, where she conducted neuropathological studies based on postmortem brain tissue. During her postdoctoral research, she explored potential molecular mechanisms of ADNC using proteomic and post-translational modification data. Her work suggested that specific modifications at certain protein sites may play a critical role in rescuing neuronal loss, which could positively impact cognitive function in CSVD patients with ADNC. Currently, she is interested in exploring the mechanisms of capillary CAA and the role of veins in CAA.