Yong Zhang Ph.D.

Principal Investigator (with tenure)

Contact Information

Medical Science and Research Building B402D

No. 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District

Beijing, 100083 China

yongzhang@hsc.pku.edu.cn

Research Direction

AMPA receptor synaptic plasticity and related brain disorders

Personal profile

Dr. Yong Zhang is a Principal Investigator in the Department of Neurobiology School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU. Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB) from the Johns Hopkins University. After postdoctoral training with Dr. Richard Huganir in the Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Zhang Joined Peking University as a faculty member in 2016. The long-term goal of the Zhang lab is to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity and learning and memory in the brain in both health and disease. The Zhang Lab has published a series of papers in  Neuron (2025), PNAS (2021, 2023), Journal of Neuroinflammation (2023), PLoS Biology (2021),  etc. Dr. Zhang has received a number of honors and awards, including the Peking University “Zhengda” teaching award for excellence, the W. Barry Wood Jr. Research Award (Johns Hopkins Young Investigators’ Award), the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad. Currently, Dr. Zhang also serves as senior editor for  Neuroscience -The IBRO Journal, and editor for  Neuroscience Bulletin.

Education

2003--2008 Ph.D., Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (Curriculum in BCMB),

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/HHMI (Advisor: Dr. Duojia Pan)

1995--1999  B.S., Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences

Shandong University, China

Research experience

2016--Present Principal Investigator,

Department of Neurobiology School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University

IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU

2015--2016 Research Associate (Faculty),

Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

2008--2015 Postdoctoral fellow, Advisor: Dr. Richard L. Huganir

Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/HHMI

2003--2008 Doctoral Training, Advisor: Dr. Duojia Pan

Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/HHMI

(Transferred from UT Southwestern Medical Center to Hopkins in 2004)

2001--2003 Visiting Research Scholar, Laboratory of Dr. Duojia Pan

Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

1999--2001 Research Assistant, Laboratory of Prof. Binggen Ru

State Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Genetic Engineering

Peking University, China

Selected publications

1. Li JZ, Zhou RB, Wang JP, Zhang XC, Li YF, Li CY E, He B, Li CY, Li CY, Long S, Lu KJ, Liu ZD, Zhang R, Zhang C, Zhang Y*. (2025). Dynamic redistribution of AMPA receptors toward memory-related neuronal ensembles in mice barrel cortex during sensory learning.  Neuron.  Jul 2:S0896-6273(25)00433-7. (Research article)

2. Lu KJ, Li CY, Liu J, Wang JP, Li YF, He B, Li JZ, Zhang XC, Wei MP, Tian YL, Zhang R, Zhang C, Zhang Y*. (2023). Impairments in endogenous AMPA receptor dynamics correlates with learning deficits in Alzheimer's disease model mice.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A.  120(40): e2303878120. (Research article)

3. Zhou R, Li J, Chen Z, Wang R, Shen Y, Zhang R, Zhou F*, Zhang Y*. (2023). Pathological hemodynamic changes and leukocyte transmigration disrupt the blood–spinal cord barrier after spinal cord injury.  Journal of Neuroinflammation.  20(1):118. (Research article)

4. Ma H, Li CY, Wang JP, Zhang XC, Li MY, Zhang R, Huang Z, Zhang Y*. (2021). Amygdala-hippocampal innervation modulates stress-induced depressive-like behaviors through AMPA receptors.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A.  118(6): e2019409118. (Research article)

5. Chen J#, Zhang XC#, Li LP#, Ma XQ, Yang CX, Liu ZD, Li CY, Fernandez-Cabezudo M, al-Ramadi BK, Wu C, Huang WS, Zhang Y*, Zhang YH*, Liu WL*. (2021). Farnesyl pyrophosphate is a new danger signal inducing acute cell death.  PLOS Biology.  19(4): e3001134. (Research article)

6. Liu Z#, Ma H#, Long S, Zhang Y*. (2022). Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5: a Potential Molecular Switch and Beyond.  Biological Psychiatry.  92:98-99. (Invited Commentary)

Current students

Yikun Chen, Jiahua Lao, Changying Li, Chenyang Li, Chuanyu Li, Junzhao Li, Zhaodi Liu, Bizheng Wang, Yufei Wu, Xiaoya Zhang, Qilan Zhou.

Former students

Dr. Corey Landry (Scientist, Gordian Biotechnology)

Dr. Yongfeng Li (Staff, Health Commission of Gansu Province)

Dr. Yi Juin Liew (Postdoctoral researcher, The Jackson Lab)

Dr. Shuai Long (Postdoctoral researcher, Zhuhai, Guangdong)

Dr. Kongjie Lu (Postdoctoral researcher, University of Michigan)

Dr. Yan Zhang (Postdoctoral researcher, Peking Union Medical College)

Dr. Rubing Zhou (Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University)

Former postdoctoral trainees

Dr. Hui Ma (Research associate, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences)

Dr. Chengwen Wei (Senior Scientist, Guidon Pharmaceutics)

Dr. Xiaochen Zhang (Associate professor, Tianjin University)