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
- Zhang, Y, Guo, J, Luo, Q, Zhang, X, Fan, C, Feng, S et al.. Biomimetic materials for medical applications. Chin Med J (Engl). 2026; :. doi: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000004036. PubMed PMID:41906208 .
- Han, Y, Chen, C, Yao, M, Wu, J, Xie, T, Zhang, Y et al.. Association of vitamin D with sepsis incidence and mortality: a large population-based prospective cohort study. Crit Care. 2026; :. doi: 10.1186/s13054-026-05977-z. PubMed PMID:41906133 .
- Li, W, Liu, A, Zhang, K, Zhang, Y, Huang, S, Liu, M et al.. Development and internal validation of a nomogram for identifying intrinsic capacity impairment among community-dwelling older adults in China: a cross-sectional study. BMC Geriatr. 2026; :. doi: 10.1186/s12877-026-07384-z. PubMed PMID:41906127 .
- Li, L, Li, M, Zhang, H, Guo, J, Liu, M, Zhang, Y et al.. Molecular characteristics, clinical risk factors, and outcomes of Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections in infants. BMC Microbiol. 2026; :. doi: 10.1186/s12866-026-05002-x. PubMed PMID:41906084 .
- Zhong, M, Liu, X, Liao, J, Zhang, Y, Li, Y, Wang, S et al.. Recent advances in progress of natural anticoagulant active substances. J Nat Med. 2026; :. doi: 10.1007/s11418-026-02013-w. PubMed PMID:41906064 .