Zhihui Zhu
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Assistant Professor
Contact
Units
About Zhihui Zhu
Dr. Zhihui Zhu earned her B.S. in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy from Inner Mongolia Medical College and her M.S. in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Minzu University of China. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany, where she studied the molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system function and disease. She subsequently completed postdoctoral training in neuroscience in the United States, focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Zhu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on glial cell biology and neuroimmune interactions in Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. She is particularly interested in understanding how microglia and astrocytes regulate neuroinflammation, blood–brain barrier integrity, and disease progression.
Her current research investigates the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling in mediating communication between the central nervous system and the peripheral immune system. By defining the molecular mechanisms through which S1P signaling regulates neuroimmune crosstalk, microglial function, and neurovascular dysfunction, her laboratory aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Research
Selected Publications
Zhu Z, Zhang L, Elsherbini A, Crivelli SM, Tripathi P, Harper C, Quadri Z, Spassieva SD, Bieberich E. The S1P receptor 1 antagonist Ponesimod reduces TLR4-induced neuroinflammation and increases Aβ clearance in 5XFAD mice. EBioMedicine. 2023 Aug;94:104713. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104713. Epub 2023 Jul 20. PubMed PMID: 37480622; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10393615.
Zhu Z, Quadri Z, Crivelli SM, Elsherbini A, Zhang L, Tripathi P, Qin H, Roush E, Spassieva SD, Nikolova-Karakashian M, McClintock TS, Bieberich E. Neutral Sphingomyelinase 2 Mediates Oxidative Stress Effects on Astrocyte Senescence and Synaptic Plasticity Transcripts. Mol Neurobiol. 2022 May;59(5):3233-3253. doi: 10.1007/s12035-022-02747-0. Epub 2022 Mar 16. PubMed PMID: 35294731; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9023069.
Li L, Cao Y, Wu H, Ye X, Zhu Z, Xing G, Shen C, Barik A, Zhang B, Xie X, Zhi W, Gan L, Su H, Xiong WC, Mei L. Enzymatic Activity of the Scaffold Protein Rapsyn for Synapse Formation. Neuron. 2016 Dec 7;92(5):1007-1019. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.10.023. Epub 2016 Nov 10. PubMed PMID: 27839998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5366040.
Selected Publications
Zhu Z, Zhang L, Elsherbini A, Crivelli SM, Tripathi P, Harper C, Quadri Z, Spassieva SD, Bieberich E. The S1P receptor 1 antagonist Ponesimod reduces TLR4-induced neuroinflammation and increases Aβ clearance in 5XFAD mice. EBioMedicine. 2023 Aug;94:104713. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104713. Epub 2023 Jul 20. PubMed PMID: 37480622; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10393615.
Zhu Z, Quadri Z, Crivelli SM, Elsherbini A, Zhang L, Tripathi P, Qin H, Roush E, Spassieva SD, Nikolova-Karakashian M, McClintock TS, Bieberich E. Neutral Sphingomyelinase 2 Mediates Oxidative Stress Effects on Astrocyte Senescence and Synaptic Plasticity Transcripts. Mol Neurobiol. 2022 May;59(5):3233-3253. doi: 10.1007/s12035-022-02747-0. Epub 2022 Mar 16. PubMed PMID: 35294731; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9023069.
Li L, Cao Y, Wu H, Ye X, Zhu Z, Xing G, Shen C, Barik A, Zhang B, Xie X, Zhi W, Gan L, Su H, Xiong WC, Mei L. Enzymatic Activity of the Scaffold Protein Rapsyn for Synapse Formation. Neuron. 2016 Dec 7;92(5):1007-1019. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.10.023. Epub 2016 Nov 10. PubMed PMID: 27839998; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5366040.
Education
- Inner Mongolia Medical College, China, B.Sc, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy.
- MinZu University of China, China, M.S, Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany, Ph.D, Neurobiochemistry.
- Georgia Medical College, USA, Postdoctoral training
- University of Kentucky, USA, Postdoctoral training