Zhang, Ye, Ph.D.

Research

Astrocyte development and the roles of astrocytes in diseases

Appointments

• Assistant Professor
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center
• Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Biography

Astrocytes constitute at least a third of all cells in human brains. Long thought to be passive support cells, astrocytes are recently found to be critical for the development and function of the central nervous system. Accumulating evidence show that astrocytes are involved in almost every type of neurological and psychiatric disorder.

The cellular and molecular mechanisms that control astrocyte development as well as dysfunction of astrocytes in neurological and psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood.

We combine cell culture and mouse genetic approaches to study the following questions:

• What signals regulate astrocyte maturation?
• How is astrocyte differentiation regulated?
• Can we improve treatment of glioblastoma by studying astrocyte development?
• Are astrocytes involved in intellectual disability and autism?

Publications

1. Zhang, Y, Bornkamp, N, Hivert, MF, Oken, E, James, P. Using a Consumer Wearable Activity Monitoring Device to Study Physical Activity and Sleep Among Adolescents in Project Viva: Cohort Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2025;8 :e59159. doi: 10.2196/59159. PubMed PMID:39903900 .
2. Nan, N, Liu, Y, Yan, Z, Zhang, Y, Li, S, Zhang, J et al.. dilp2-Mediated Insulin Signaling Pathway Was Involved in O₃-Induced Multigenerational Effects of Shortened Lifespan in Drosophila melanogasters. Environ Sci Technol. 2025; :. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04580. PubMed PMID:39903660 .
3. Young, BL, Gqamana, PP, Qiu, Y, Nacca, NE, Zhang, YV. The Prevalence of Xylazine in Patient Urine Samples That Were Positive for Fentanyl in Western New York. J Appl Lab Med. 2025; :. doi: 10.1093/jalm/jfae158. PubMed PMID:39903659 .
4. Du, J, He, X, Fan, R, Zhang, Y, Liu, H, Liu, H et al.. Artificial intelligence-assisted precise preoperative prediction of lateral cervical lymph nodes metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma via a clinical-CT radiomic combined model. Int J Surg. 2025; :. doi: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000002267. PubMed PMID:39903541 .
5. Liu, K, Zhang, Y, Du, G, Chen, X, Xiao, L, Jiang, L et al.. 5-HT orchestrates Histone Serotonylation and Citrullination to Drive Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Liver Metastasis. J Clin Invest. 2025; :. doi: 10.1172/JCI183544. PubMed PMID:39903533 .

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