Biographical Info

Research Areas

The Zhou laboratory is interested in the mechanisms mediating cell-cell communication and their roles in normal development, physiology, and diseases. Specifically the Zhou laboratory is investigating the functions of a large family of tyrosine kinase receptors, the Ephs, and their ligands, the ephrins, in neural circuit formation, eye development, and behavior regulations including motor activity, circadian rhythm, and aggression. The Zhou laboratory employs both in vitro and in vivo techniques, including neuron cultures, transgenic and knockout mice, as well as behavior assays.

Research Highlights

Demonstration of a repulsive function of ephrins in axon guidance

Discovering signal transduction pathways mediating ephrin-induced growth cone guidance

Establishing a novel cataract mouse model

Elucidating regulation of cell-cell adhesion by ephrins

Scholarly Activities

Member of editorial board: Neuroscience Bulletin; Cell & Bioscience

Membership in: AAAS, Society of Neuroscice, ARVO

Recent Publications

1. Feng, J, Li, S, Zhang, B, Duan, N, Zhou, R, Yan, S, Elango, J, Liu, N, Wu, W. FGFC1 Exhibits Anti-Cancer Activity via Inhibiting NF-κB Signaling Pathway in EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Cells. Mar Drugs. 2022;20 (1):. doi: 10.3390/md20010076. PubMed PMID:35049931
2. Zheng, Y, Ji, B, Chen, S, Zhou, R, Ni, R. The impact of uremic toxins on Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2022; :. doi: 10.2174/1567205019666220120113305. PubMed PMID:35048807
3. Sun, M, Wilson, BN, Zhou, RZ, Murrell, DF, Murase, JE. Evaluation of skin of color content in Skin Research and Technology. Skin Res Technol. 2022; :. doi: 10.1111/srt.13105. PubMed PMID:35048425
4. Hu, X, Zhou, R, Li, H, Zhao, X, Sun, Y, Fan, Y, Zhang, S. Alterations of Gut Microbiome and Serum Metabolome in Coronary Artery Disease Patients Complicated With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Are Associated With Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2021;8 :805812. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.805812. PubMed PMID:35047580 PubMed Central PMC8761954
5. Ding, L, Zhou, R, Yuan, Y, Yang, H, Li, J, Yu, T, Liu, C, Wang, J, Li, S, Gao, H et al.. A 2-year locomotive exploration and scientific investigation of the lunar farside by the Yutu-2 rover. Sci Robot. 2022;7 (62):eabj6660. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.abj6660. PubMed PMID:35044796
6. Hou, M, Wei, Y, Zhao, Z, Han, W, Zhou, R, Zhou, Y, Zheng, Y, Yin, L. Immuno-Engineered Nanodecoys for the Multi-Target Anti-Inflammatory Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases. Adv Mater. 2022; :e2108817. doi: 10.1002/adma.202108817. PubMed PMID:35044010
7. Dong, W, Zhou, R, Chen, J, Shu, Z, Duan, M. Phosphorylation Regulation on the Homo-Dimeric Binding of Transactive Response DNA-Binding Protein. J Chem Inf Model. 2022; :. doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01224. PubMed PMID:35040651