Yuan was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico to a nuclear physicist father and glass artist mother.
[1][3] The New York Times’ decision to hire her was based on her experience and talent: "As a writer at New York magazine for the last decade, she has profiled plenty of celebrities, but she has also parachuted into film festivals and presidential conventions — each time having to find her footing in a new place.
"[3] Yuan’s 2019 profile on Stevie Nicks for Vulture earned her a shoutout from the Fleetwood Mac singer on stage: "I would like to dedicate this song to a girl, a lady.
"[4] In October 2023, Yuan released her first book, Unleashing Oppenheimer: Inside Christopher Nolan’s Explosive Atomic Age Thriller.
[5] Slashfilm’s review noted “...it's one of the most enlightening and meticulously pieced together chronicles of filmmaking I've seen in awhile.