Scientist Profile

I believe that now is the right time to translate our vast knowledge about the brain into fruitful treatments for disorders of the nervous system. Treating neural diseases is a daunting task and cannot be accomplished by individuals or a few academic laboratories. It takes many talented, devoted scientists from many disciplines working together in a highly coordinated and collaborative manner, and it also requires a great support system.

I joined Genentech in May 2009. Before that, I was an assistant professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine for four years. I believe that now is the right time to translate our vast knowledge about the brain into fruitful treatments for disorders of the nervous system. Treating neural diseases is a daunting task and cannot be accomplished by individuals or a few academic laboratories. It takes many talented, devoted scientists from many disciplines working together in a highly coordinated and collaborative manner, and it also requires a great support system. This is why I was drawn to Genentech since I believe it is the best place to do great science and translate scientific discoveries into medicines for unmet medical needs.

See More

My Focus

Our primary focus is to understand the malfunctions of synapses in both degenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. Synapses are the place where brain cells connect and communicate with each other, and there is ample evidence that impairment of synaptic function and plasticity occurs at an early stage of neural degeneration and in psychiatric disorders. It is our hope that if we understand the mechanisms underlying these early synaptic modifications, we may be able to design treatments to halt disease progress and even find a cure.

Since I was trained and have practiced as a physiologist, I have deep appreciation for the complexity of the brain and hence treat the brain as a highly interactive machine rather than a block of homogenous tissue. Although many ""malicious"" molecules have been identified as causes for neural diseases, the physiological functions of these molecules and how a physiological process turns into a pathological one are poorly understood. Understanding these questions may shed important insights into the neural disorders. In addition, we are also trying to understand how the compensatory mechanisms may contribute to the progression of diseases.

See More

Publications & Recognition

• Spine modifications associated with long-term potentiation.
• Neuroscientist 2009 Oct; 15(5): 464-76.
• Yang Y, Zhou Q.
• View Abstract on PubMed

• Requirement for protein synthesis at developing synapses.
• J. Neurosci. 2009 Aug 5; 29(31): 9778-93.
• Sebeo J, Hsiao K, Bozdagi O, Dumitriu D, Ge Y, Zhou Q, Benson DL.
• View Abstract on PubMed

• Extracellular proteolysis by matrix metalloproteinase-9 drives dendritic spine enlargement and long-term potentiation coordinately.
• Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2008 Dec 9; 105(49): 19520-5.
• Wang XB, Bozdagi O, Nikitczuk JS, Zhai ZW, Zhou Q, Huntley GW.
• View Abstract on PubMed