Professor and PhD Supervisor, National High-Level Overseas Talent (2012), National Outstanding Youth Fund Recipient (2020), Chief Scientist of the National Key Basic Research Development Program (973 Program) (2014), Chief Scientist of the Science and Technology Innovation 2030 (China Brain Project) (2021). Graduated from Anhui University with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry in 2001 and obtained a PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2008. Conducted postdoctoral research at the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, from 2008 to 2012. Since November 2012, serving as a Professor at the School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, focusing on molecular and neural circuit research on the interaction of pain and emotions and different sensory systems, dedicated to clinical translation and application. Also serves as President of the Anhui Neuroscience Society and Deputy Director of the CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Brain Diseases.
Main Research Interests:
1. Neural mechanisms of the interaction between pain and emotions (such as depression and anxiety).
2. Neural mechanisms of brain interaction with peripheral tissues/organs.
3. Physical stimulation methods (sound, light, electrical, and magnetic) for regulating pain and emotional neural circuits.
Representative Papers
2022
1. Wenjie Zhou1; Chonghuan Ye1; Haitao Wang1; Yu Mao1; Weijia Zhang; An Liu; Chen-Ling Yang; Tianming Li; Lauren Hayashi; Wan Zhao; Lin Chen; Yuanyuan Liu*; Wenjuan Tao*; Zhi Zhang*; Sound induces analgesia via corticothalamic circuits, Science, 2022, 377, 198–204.
2021
1. Peng Cao1; An Liu1; Changmao Chen1; Qinghong Shan; Xia Zhu; Chunhui Jia; Xiaoqi Peng; Mingjun Zhang; Zahra Farzinpour; Wenjie Zhou; Haitao Wang; Jiang-Ning Zhou; Xiaoyuan Song; Liecheng Wang; Wenjuan Tao; Changjian Zheng; Yan Zhang; Yu-Qiang Ding; Yan Jin*; Lin Xu*; Zhi Zhang*; Early-life inflammation promotes depressive symptoms in adolescence via microglial engulfment of dendritic spines, Neuron, 2021, 109(16):2573-2589.e9.
2. Xia Zhu1; Hao-Di Tang1; Wan-Ying Dong1; Fang Kang1; An Liu; Yu Mao; Wen Xie; Xulai Zhang; Peng Cao; Wenjie Zhou; Haitao Wang; Zahra Farzinpou; Wenjuan Tao; Xiaoyuan Song; Yan Zhang; Tian Xue; Yan Jin*; Juan Li*; Zhi Zhang*; Distinct thalamocortical circuits underlie allodynia induced by tissue injury and by depression-like states, Nature Neuroscience, 2021, 24(4): 542-553.
2020
1. Wenjuan Tao1; Changmao Chenb1; Yuping Wang1; Wenjie Zhou; Yan Jin; Yu Mao; Haitao Wang; Likui Wang; Wen Xie; Xulai Zhangd; Jie Li; Juan Li; Xiangyao Lie; Zhen-Quan Tang; Chenghua Zhoug; Zhizhong Z. Pang*; Zhi Zhang*; MeCP2 mediates transgenerational transmission of chronic pain,Progress in Neurobiology, 2020, 189:101790.
2. Yan Jin1; Qian Meng1; Lisheng Mei; Wenjie Zhou; Xia Zhu; Yu Mao; Wen Xie; Xulai Zhang; Min-Hua Luo; Wenjuan Tao; Haitao Wang; Jie Li; Juan Li; Xiangyao Li; Zhi Zhang*; A somatosensory cortex input to the caudal dorsolateral striatum controls comorbid anxiety in persistent pain, PAIN, 2020, 161(2): 416-428.
3. Weiwei Yin1; Lisheng Mei1; Tingting Sun; Yuping Wang; Jie Li; Changmao Chen; Zahra Farzinpour; Yu Mao; Wenjuan Tao; Juan Li; Wen Xie; Zhi Zhang*; A central amygdala–ventrolateral periaqueductal gray matter pathway for pain in a mouse model of depression-like behavior, Anesthesiology, 2020, Jan 27.
2019
1. Wenjie Zhou1; Yan Jin1; Qian Meng1; Xia Zhu1; Tongjian Bai; Yanghua Tian; Yu Mao; Likui Wang; Wen Xie; Hui Zhong; Na Zhang; Min-Hua Luo; Wenjuan Tao; Haitao Wang; Jie Li; Juan Li; Ben-Sheng Qiu; Jiang-Ning Zhou; Xiangyao Li; Han Xu; Kai Wang; Xiaochu Zhang; Yong Liu; Gal Richter-Levin; Lin Xu; Zhi Zhang*; A neural circuit for comorbid depressive symptoms in chronic pain, Nature Neuroscience, 2019, 22(10): 1649-1658.
2. Tingting Sun1; Zihua Song1; Yanghua Tian1; Wenbo Tian; Chunyan Zhu; Gongjun Ji; Yudan Luo; Shi Chen; Likui Wang; Yu Mao; Wen Xie; Hui Zhong; Fei Zhao; Min-Hua Luo; Wenjuan Tao; Haitao Wang; Jie Li; Juan Li; Jiang-Ning Zhou; Kai Wang*; Zhi Zhang*; Basolateral amygdala input to the medial prefrontal cortex controls obsessive-compulsive disorder-like checking behavior, PNAS, 2019, 116(9): 3799-3804.
3. Xia Zhu1; Wenjie Zhou1; Yan Jin; Haodi Tang; Peng Cao; Yu Mao; Wen Xie; Xulai Zhang; Fei Zhao; Min-Hua Luo; Haitao Wang; Jie Li; Wenjuan Tao; Zahra Farzinpour; Likui Wang; Xiangyao Li; Juan Li; Zheng-Quan Tang; Chenghua Zhou; Zhizhong Z. Pan*; Zhi Zhang*; A central amygdala input to the parafascicular nucleus controls comorbid pain in depression, Cell Reports, 2019, 29(12): 3847-3858.
4. Haitao Wang1; Jiahui Chen1; Xiaotong Xu; Wen-Jian Sun; Xi Chen; Fei Zhao; Min-Hua Luo; Chunhua Liu; Yiping Guo; Wen Xie; Hui Zhong; Tongjian Bai; Yanghua Tian; Yu Mao; Chonghuan Ye; Wenjuan Tao; Jie Li; Zahra Farzinpour; Juan Li; Jiang-Ning Zhou; Kai Wang; Jufang He; Lin Chen*; Zhi Zhang*; Direct auditory cortical input to the lateral periaqueductal gray controls sound-driven defensive behavior, PLoS Biology, 2019, 17(8): e3000417.
2008-2018
1. Zhi Zhang; Wenjuan Tao; Yuan-Yuan Hou; Wei Wang; Paul J. Kenny; Zhizhong Z. Pan*; MeCP2 repression of G9a in regulation of pain and morphine reward, Journal of Neuroscience, 2014, 34(27): 9076-9087.
2. Zhi Zhang; You-Qing Cai; Fang Zou; Bihua Bie; Zhizhong Z. Pan*; Epigenetic suppression of GAD65 expression mediates persistent pain, Nature Medicine, 2011, 17(11): 1448-1455. Highlighted by Nature Reviews Drug Discovery (2011 Nov 18;10(12):900).
3. Zhi Zhang; Zhizhong Z. Pan*; Synaptic mechanism for functional synergism between delta- and mu-opioid receptors, Journal of Neuroscience, 2010, 30(13): 4735-4745. Highlighted by Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2010 May 12; 11:374-375).
4. Zhi Zhang; Neng Gong; Wei Wang; Lin Xu; Tian-Le Xu*; Bell-shaped D-serine actions on hippocampal long-term depression and spatial memory retrieval, Cerebral Cortex, 2008, 18(10): 2391-2401.
Recruitment and Admissions:
The lab is recruiting postdoctoral researchers/associate researchers with backgrounds in immunology and glial cells.
Contact Information:
E-mail：zhizhang@ustc.edu.cn
Phone: 0551-63602715