Personal Introduction

I have more than 12 years of experience in studying neuronal circuits and synaptic plasticity. I have got solid background in molecular and cellular neuroscience during my Ph.D. training period. I later extended my training in the cutting-edge whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology and imaging technique in my postdoctoral training period. I have mastered all these techniques quickly and actively collaborated with other researchers, and generated several peer-reviewed publications for each project. As a result of these previous experiences, I am acutely aware of the importance of utilization of the cutting-edge high-resolution and/or high-throughput techniques, which are central to rigorous interrogation of the fundamental neurobiology questions. The prior experience prepared me with the necessary expertise, leadership and motivation, as well as the necessary technology, to successfully build our team to understand the molecular and cellular mechanism of synaptic regulation in neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders.

• 2021.9-now Principal Investigator, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

• 2020.3-2021.8 Research Scientist, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia

• 2015.3-2020.2 Research Associate, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia

• 2014.6-2015.1 Research Associate, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

• 2014.6-2015.1 PhD candidate, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Scientific Research Projects

• Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship，AARF-19-619387, CaV3.2 restrains Cdk5 activity to ameliorate synaptic depression in AD, 2019/04-2022/03, 175,000 USD；

Publications

1. P.M. Borden*, P. Zhang*, A.V. Shivange, J.S. Marvin, J. Cichon, C.T. Dan, K. Podgorski, A. Figueiredo, O. Novak, M. Tanimoto, E. Shigetomi, M. A. Lobas, H. Kim, and Paula Zhu, Y.j. Zhang, W.S. Zheng, C.C. Fan, G.F. Wang, B.W. Xiang, L. Gan, G.X. Zhang, K.M. Guo, L. Lin, Y. Cai, A.G. Yee, A. Aggarwal, H. Bao, X.C. Lou, E.R. Chapman, C.P. Ford, D. Rees, D. Dietrich,  B.S. Khakh, J.S. Dittman, W.B. Gan, M. Koyama, V. Jayaraman, J.F. Cheer, H.A. Lester, J.J. Zhu  and L. Looger, A Fast Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensor for Faithful  in vivo Acetylcholine Detection in Mice, Fish, Worms and Flies. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3554080. [*Co-first author]

2. G. Wang*, P. Zhang*, S.K. Mendu*, Y. Wang, Y. Zhang, X. Kang, B.N. Desai, and J.J. Zhu, Revaluation of magnetic properties of Magneto. Nat Neurosci (2020). [*Co-first author]

3. M. Jing*, P. Zhang*, G. Wang, J. Feng, L. Mesik, J. Zeng, H. Jiang, S. Wang, J.C. Looby, N.A. Guagliardo, L.W. Langma, J. Lu, Y. Zuo, D.A. Talmage, L.W. Role, P.Q. Barrett, L.I. Zhang, M. Luo, Y. Song, J.J. Zhu, and Y. Li, A genetically encoded fluorescent acetylcholine indicator for in vitro and in vivo studies. Nat Biotechnol 36 (2018) 726-737. [*Co-first author]

4. L. Zhang*, P. Zhang*, G. Wang*, H. Zhang*, Y. Zhang, Y. Yu, M. Zhang, J. Xiao, P. Crespo, J.W. Hell, L. Lin, R.L. Huganir, and J.J. Zhu, Ras and Rap Signal Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity via Distinct Subcellular Microdomains. Neuron 98 (2018) 783-800 e4. [*Co-first author]

5. P. Zhang, W.Y. Fu, A.K. Fu, and N.Y. Ip, S-nitrosylation-dependent proteasomal degradation restrains Cdk5 activity to regulate hippocampal synaptic strength. Nat Commun 6 (2015) 8665. [Highlighted in F1000Prime (https://f1000.com/prime/725882905)]

6. P. Zhang, P.C. Yu, A.H. Tsang, Y. Chen, A.K. Fu, W.Y. Fu, K.K. Chung, and N.Y. Ip, S-nitrosylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) regulates its kinase activity and dendrite growth during neuronal development. J Neurosci 30 (2010) 14366-70.

7. J. Liu, K. Conde, P. Zhang, V. Lilascharoen, Z. Xu, B.K. Lim, R.J. Seeley, J.J. Zhu, M.M. Scott, and Z.P. Pang, Enhanced AMPA Receptor Trafficking Mediates the Anorexigenic Effect of Endogenous Glucagon-like Peptide-1 in the Paraventricular Hypothalamus. Neuron 96 (2017) 897-909 e5.

8. G. Wang, G. Bochorishvili, Y. Chen, K.A. Salvati, P. Zhang, S.J. Dubel, E. Perez-Reyes, T.P. Snutch, R.L. Stornetta, K. Deisseroth, A. Erisir, S.M. Todorovic, J.H. Luo, J. Kapur, M.P. Beenhakker, and J.J. Zhu, CaV3.2 calcium channels control NMDA receptor-mediated transmission: a new mechanism for absence epilepsy. Genes Dev 29 (2015) 1535-51.

9. J. Feng, C. Zhang, J.E. Lischinsky, M. Jing, J. Zhou, H. Wang, Y. Zhang, A. Dong, Z. Wu, H. Wu, W. Chen, P. Zhang, J. Zou, S.A. Hires, J.J. Zhu, G. Cui, D. Lin, J. Du, and Y. Li, A Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensor for Rapid and Specific In Vivo Detection of Norepinephrine. Neuron 102 (2019) 745-761 e8.