Jianhua Zhang Lab
The Jianhua Zhang Lab focuses on the redox, metabolic and interactome regulatory mechanisms on autophagy, mitophagy and endolyosomal functions, as novel insights are laying the foundation for treatment of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.
Mission
1.) Identify mechanisms that regulate autophagy, mitophagy, mitochondria and lysosomal activities.
2.) Determine the role of regulation of autophagy, mitophagy, mitochondria and lysosomal activities in pathologenesis and therapeutic interventions of infection, as well as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, especially those affected by aging.
Research Overview
We use genetic, biochemistry, cell biology and omics approaches with in vitro cell culture and animal models. We propose that autophagy and mitophagy are important for potentially reversing broad range of oxidative damage that play a role in aging and diseases. Over the years, our group gained extensive expertise and developed new concepts linking mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagy and oxidative stress in cell death and survival, including the development of novel in vitro and in vivo approaches to assessing mitochondrial function, applying an integrated approach to assess cellular response to oxidative / nitrosative / ER stress, nutrient deprivation, perturbation of glucose metabolism, mitochondrial and environmental toxins, as well as proteotoxicity.
Publications
Banner image courtesy of Molecular Brain: doi: 10.1186/1756-6606-1-17
