Zhen Huang
Position title: Associate Professor, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience
Email: z.huang@neurology.wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 263-2469
Departments:
Neurology
Neuroscience
Education:
M.S. in Molecular Biology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
Postdoctoral in Neuroscience, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Research Description:
My lab is interested in determining the molecular and cellular mechanisms that coordinate the behavior of the different cell types in the brain, both neural and nonneural cells, that enable the normal development, function, and plasticity of the brain. We are especially interested in understanding how perturbations in these mechanisms may result in different neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative diseases and how we may harness our discoveries for intervention in these diseases. Specific projects in the lab include investigating how microglial dysfunction (in a microglia specific mouse mutant) results in Alzheimer’s disease-like neurodegeneration in the brain and how defective neuro-vascular signaling (in a neural progenitor cell specific mouse mutant) results in germinal matrix hemorrhage (a brain region specific bleeding common condition in pre-term infants).
Research Focus:
Brain Development, Brain Degeneration, Cerebral Cortex Disease
Diversity Statement:
I fully support providing an inclusive and diverse lab and training environment for all students and postdoc and other trainees and staff. For all graduate students and postdocs, I provide them provide them with consistent and regular guidance of both scientific research including critical thinking, experimental design, and lab techniques, and career development including career choice, planning, and networking. I discuss pro and cons of experimental design with them on a weekly basis, organize journal clubs and discuss both experiment design and data interpretation with them. Specifically, I emphasize potential pitfalls or blind spots in experimental design and data interpretation on these occasions.