Name：Jing Zhao
Teaching Title：Professor
E-mail：jzhao0321@suda.edu.cn
Speciality：
1.Exploration of the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and potential therapeutic strategies.
2. Establishment of novel human disease models utilizing human induced pluripotent stem cells.
3. Application of stem cells and their derivatives in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Zhao graduated in 2007 with a major in Clinical Medicine from Anhui University of Science and Technology, then obtained a master's degree in Neurology from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in 2010, and a doctoral degree in Neurology from Huashan Hospital, Fudan University in 2014. From 2014 to 2021, Dr. Zhao was engaged in postdoctoral research at Mayo Clinic in the United States, and in 2021, was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the same institution. In 2024, Dr. Zhao returned to China full-time and joined Soochow University as a specially-appointed professor at the Institute of Neuroscience.Dr. Zhao has been mainly engaged in research on the pathogenic mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Lewy body dementia. Dr. Zhao has achieved breakthrough results in disease mechanisms research using brain organoid models and unique transgenic mouse models, combined with multi-omics analysis and gene editing technologies.
As first and/or corresponding author, Dr. Zhao has so far published multiple peer-reviewed SCI papers in journals such as Nature Neuroscience, Acta Neuropathologica, Nature Communications, Molecular Neurodegeneration, and Nature Aging. As the principal investigator, Dr. Zhao has been awarded several fundings from the Alzheimer's Association in the United States, the Neuroregeneration Center at Mayo Clinic, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Dr. Zhao has been invited to serve as a reviewer for the Alzheimer's Research Foundation in the UK, and also serves as an independent reviewer for well-known journals in the field such as Molecular Neurodegeneration, Nature Communications, Stem Cell Reports and etc.
Selected Publications：
1. Zhao J1*, Ikezu T, Lu W, Macyczko J, Li Y, Lewis-Tuffin L, Martens Y, Ren Y, Zhu Y, Asmann Y, Ertekin-Taner N, Kanekiyo T, Bu G*. APOE deficiency impacts neural differentiation and cholesterol biosynthesis in human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids. Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2023, 14 (1), 214. (JCR Q1)
2. Liu CC1, Zhao J1,Fu Y1, Inoue Y; Ren Y; Chen Y; Doss S; Shue F; Jeevaratnam S; Bastea L; Wang N; Martens Y; Qiao W; Wang M; Zhao N; Jia L; Yamazaki Y; Yamazaki A; Rosenberg C; Wang Z; Kong D; Li ZH; Kuchenbecker L; Kanekiyo T; Fryer J; Asmann Y; Storz P; Wang X; Peng M; Zhang B; Kim B; Bu G; Peripheral apoE4 enhances Alzheimer’s pathology and impairs cognition by compromising cerebrovascular function, Nature Neuroscience, 2022, 25(8): 1020-1033. (JCR Q1)
3. Fu Y, Bu G, Kanekiyo T, Zhao J*. Counteracting Alzheimer’s disease via somatic TERT activation. Nature Aging 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00145-0. (JCR Q1)
4. Zhao J1, Lu W, Ren Y, Fu Y, Martens Y, Shue F, Davis M, Wang X, Chen K, Li F, Liu CC, Graff-Radford NR, Wszolek ZK, Younkin SG, Brafman DA, Ertekin-Taner N, Asmann YW, Dickson DW, Xu Z, Pan M, Han X, Kanekiyo T, Bu G. Apolipoprotein E regulates lipid metabolism and α-synuclein pathology in human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids. Acta Neuropathologica 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-021-02361-9. (JCR Q1)
5. Martens Y, Xu S, Tait R, Li G, Zhao X, Lu W, Liu CC, Kanekiyo T, Bu G*, Zhao J*. Generation and validation of APOE knockout human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids. STAR protocols 2021, 2(2):100571. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100571.
6. Zhao J1, Fu Y, Yamazaki Y, Ren Y, Davis MD, Liu CC, Lu W, Wang X, Chen K, Cherukuri Y, Jia L, Martens YA, Job L, Shue F, Nguyen TT, Younkin SG, Graff-RadfordNR, Wszolek ZK, Brafman DA, Asmann YW, Ertekin-Taner N, Kanekiyo T and Bu G. APOE4 exacerbates synapse loss and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease patient iPSC-derived cerebral organoids. Nature Communications 2020, 11, 5540. (JCR Q1)
7. Zhao J1, Davis M, Atagi Y, Shinohara M, Graff-Radford NR, Younkin SG, Wszolek ZK, Kanekiyo T, Bu G. APOE4 diminishes neurotrophic function of human iPSC-derived astrocytes. Hum Mol Genet 2017, 26:14. (JCR Q1)
8. Fu Y1, Zhao J1, Atagi Y, Nielsen HM, Liu CC, Zheng HH, Shinohara M, Kanekiyo T, Bu G. Apolipoprotein E lipoprotein particles inhibit amyloid-β uptake through cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycan. Molecular Neurodegeneration 2016, 11:37. (JCR Q1)