Quick look:

• Graduated with a medical degree in Clinical Medicine from Jiamusi University School of Medicine in China.

• Currently a first-year student in the PhD program.

After two years research work as a student assistant in Dr. Kezhong Zhang’s laboratory of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, I was given the opportunity to be a graduate student in the PhD program of the department. The most attractive characteristic of CMMG to me is the interdisciplinary environment from a broad view of translational biomedical research which allows me to focus on my interest of the hepatic metabolic syndromes and to explore the possible treatments for liver diseases.

Research Interests

Advisor: Dr. Kezhong Zhang

The molecular regulation on the pathogenesis of the association between metabolic syndromes and liver diseases:

• Airborne particulate matter-induced hepatic metabolism dysfunction in a mouse model.

• The liver-specific transcriptional factor CREBH regulates hepatic lipid and glucose hemostasis upon metabolic stress.

Awards and recognitions

• 2^nd place and travel award of the departmental poster competition in CMMG, 2010

• 1^st place of the oral presentation session III in School of Medicine, 2011

Selected Publications

• Zheng Z, Zhang C, Zhang K. Measurement of ER stress response and inflammation in the mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods Enzymol. 2011; 489:329-48.

• Zheng Z, Zhang C, Zhang K. Role of unfolded protein response in lipogenesis. World J Hepatol. 2010 Jun 27;2 (6):203-7.

• Laing S, Wang G, Briazova T, Zhang C, Wang A, Zheng Z, Gow A, Chen AF, Rajagopalan S, Chen LC, Sun Q, Zhang K. Airborne particulate matter selectively activates endoplasmic reticulum stress response in the lung and liver tissues. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2010 Oct; 299(4):C736-49. Epub 2010 Jun 16.