Faculty

SHEN Yong
Professor, PhD Supervisor, Changjiang Scholar Chair Professor

Graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Human and Animal Physiology from the Department of Biology, Nanjing University. Earned a Master’s in Physiology from the Shanghai Institute of Physiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 1986. Received a PhD in Psychobiology and Neuroscience from the State University of New York in 1989. Conducted postdoctoral and assistant research at the Rudolf Magnus Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and at the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).


In 1993, after cloning and pharmacologically identifying new dopamine D5 and serotonin 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptors, he joined the Neuroimmunology Exploratory Group at Abbott Labs, USA, as a group leader and senior molecular neuropharmacologist, contributing to drug development for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In 1997, he became Director and Senior Scientist at the L.J. Roberts Center for Alzheimer’s Disease at Sun Health Research Institute, Arizona, and a professor of molecular and cellular biology at Arizona State University. In 2000, he became Director of the Hardman Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology. In 2006, he also became Co-Director of the Sun Health Asia-Pacific Medical Research Center. In 2010, he joined the Roskamp Institute in Florida as Director of the Center for Brain Diseases and Therapeutics, Senior Scientist, and Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida College of Medicine, continuing his research on neurological diseases.


His main research focuses on the fundamental and translational studies of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and related cerebrovascular diseases. This includes discovering and molecularly cloning new brain disease genes, identifying new proteins, developing novel cell and animal models to study disease pathology and molecular mechanisms, and drug development. He leads multicenter studies in the US and EU to identify early clinical biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases and participates in related drug clinical trials. Published over 100 papers in top international biomedical journals such as Nature Medicine, Journal of Cell Biology, Molecular Cell, JAMA Psychiatry, Neuron, PNAS, Brain, Neurology, and Journal of Neuroscience. Received numerous awards, including the "Zenith Award" and "Outstanding Contributor to Alzheimer Research," as well as the “Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Chair Professor” from the Ministry of Education in 2009. Returned to China in 2014 as a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China.


Research Interests and Directions:

1. Molecular mechanisms of brain function and diseases (neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders), including gene expression, regulation, and discovery of new genes in the brain.

2. Molecular pathology identification of new therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders and drug discovery.

3. Discovery and study of early clinical diagnostic biomarkers for novel brain diseases.


Key Representative Papers:

1. Yang LB, Lindholm K, Yan R, Citron M, Xia W, Beach T, Sue L, Wong P, Price D, Li R, Shen Y. (2003). Elevated β-secretase expression and enzymatic activity detected in sporadic Alzheimer disease. Nature Medicine, 9(1): 3-4.

2. Li R, Yang LB, Lindholm K, Yan R, Citron M, Beach T, Sue L, Subbagh M, Cai H, Wong P, Price D, Shen Y. (2004). Aβ load is correlated with elevated BACE activity in sporadic Alzheimer patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 101(10), 3632-3637.

3. Li R., Lindholm K, Yang LB, Konishi Y, Hampel H, Zhang, D. Shen Y. (2004). TNF death receptor signaling cascade is required for amyloid-protein induced neuron death. Journal of Neuroscience, 28(7):1760-1771.

4. Yue X, Lu M, Lancaster T, Cao P, Honda S, Staufenbiel M, Harada N, Zhong Z, Shen Y, Li R. (2005). Brain estrogen deficiency accelerates Aβ plaque formation in an Alzheimer's disease animal model. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 102(52):19198-203.

5. Zhong, Z., Ewers, M., Teipel, S., Büger, K., Wallin, A., Blennow, K., Hampel, H., and Shen Y.(2007). High Levels of β-Secretase (BACE1) in Cerebrospinal Fluid as a Predictor of Risk in Mild Cognitive Impairment, the early stage of Alzheimer’s Disease, JAMA Psychiatry(Archives of General Psychiatry), 64(6):718-2.

6. HeP, ZhongZ, LindholmK, BerningL, LeeW, LemereC, StaufenbielM, LiR and Shen Y. (2007). Deletion of TNF death receptor inhibits amyloid beta generation and prevents learning and memory deficits in Alzheimer’s mice. Journal of Cell Biology, 178(5): 829-841.(Highlighted by Nature Oct. 2007: Death receptor takes centrestage ; Hot story news by Science, 2007 : Death receptor and Alzheimer.

7. Tesco G, Koh YH, Kang EL, Cameron AN, Das S, Sena-Esteves M, Hiltunen M, Yang SH, Zhong Z, Shen Y, Simpkins JW, Tanzi RE. (2007). Depletion of GGA3 stabilizes BACE and enhances β-secretase activity. Neuron. 54(5): 721-37.

8. Ewers M, Zhong Z, Bürger K, Wallin A, Blennow K, Teipel SJ, Shen Y, Hampel H. (2008). Increased CSF-BACE1 activity is associated with ApoE-ε4 genotype in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease. Brain, 131(Pt 5): 1252-8.

9. He, P. and Shen Y. (2008).Interruption of β-catenin signaling reduces neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease’s brains.Journal of Neuroscience. (2009), 29(20): 6545-57.

10. Xia W., Yang T., Imelda M. Smith I. M., Shen Y., Walsh D. M. and Selkoe, D. J. (2009). A specific ELISA for measuring amyloid β-protein oligomers in human plasma and the brains of Alzheimer patients. JAMA Neurology(Archives of Neurology), 66(2): 190-9.

11. Min S-W, Cho S-H, Zhou Y, Schroeder S, Haroutunian V, Seeley WW, Huang EJ, Shen Y, Masliah E, Mukherjee C, Meyers D, Cole PA, Ott M, Li Gan L (2010). Acetylation of tau inhibits Its degradation and contributes to tauopathy. Neuron, 67: 953-966.

12. HeP, LiuQ, WuJ and Shen Y (2011). Genetic Deletion of TNF Receptor Suppresses Excitatory Synaptic Transmission via Reducing AMPA Receptor Synaptic Localization in Cortical Neurons. FASEB Journal. 26(1): 334-45.

13. Walker KR, Kang EL, Whalen MJ, Shen Y and Tesco G. (2012). Depletion of GGA1 and GGA3 mediates post-injury elevation of BACE1. Journal of Neuroscience. 32(30): 10423-37.

14. JiangH, HeP, AdlerCH,ShillH,BeachTG, Li, R, and ShenY. (2012). Bid Signal Pathway Components are identified in the Temporal Cortex in Brains with Parkinson’s disease dementia. Neurology, 79(17): 1767-73.

15. Wang H, Li R and Shen Y (2013). β-secretase: Its Biology as a Therapeutic Target in Diseases.Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 34(4):215-25.

16. HeP, ChengX, StaufenbielM, LiR and Shen Y (2013). Long-term treatment of TNF inhibitor, thalidomide, ameliorates Alzheimer-like pathology through inhibition of β-secretasein a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. PLoS One, 8(2): e55091.

17. Cho HJ, Jin SM, Ding J, Xie C, Yu J, Parisiadou L, Sun L, Vancraenenbroeck R, Lobbestael E, Baekelandt V, Taymans J-M, He P, Troncoso J, Shen Y, Cai H (2013). MicroRNA-205 regulates the Expression of Parkinson’s disease-related Leucine-rich Repeat Kinase 2 Protein. Human Molecular Genetics, 22(3):608-20.

18. Cheng X, He P, Yao H, Dong Q, Li R, Shen Y (2014). Occludin deficiency with BACE1 elevation in cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Neurology. 82(19): 1707-1715.

19. Jiang H, He P, Xie J, Staufenbiel M, Li R, Shen Y. (2014). Genetic deletion of TNFRII gene enhances the Alzheimer-like pathology in an APP transgenic mouse model via reduction of phosphorylated IκBα. Human Molecular Genetics. 23(18):4906-4918.

20. KonishiY, YangLB, HeP, LindholmK, LuB, Li Rand Shen Y. (2014). Deficiency of GDNF receptor GFRα1 in Alzheimer Neurons Results In Neuronal Death. Journal of Neuroscience, Sept. 24, 34(39):13127-13138.

21. Cheng X, Shen Y and Li R (2014). Targeting TNF: A therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease. Drug Discovery Today, Jul 3. pii: S1359-6446(14)00271-2.


Contact Information:

- Email: yongshen@ustc.edu.cn

- Phone: 0551-63606103