Ze Zheng, MBBS, PhD

Assistant Professor

Locations

Health Research Center
Versiti Blood Research Institute

Contact Information

zzheng@mcw.edu

Education

MBBS, Clinical Medicine, Jiamusi University
PhD, The Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Division of Molecular Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Learn more about the Ze Zheng Laboratory

Biography

Dr. Ze Zheng is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and an Associate Investigator at the Versiti Blood Research Institute, where her research laboratory is located. She received her MBBS in clinical medicine from Jiamusi University, and her PhD in molecular biology and genetics of liver metabolism from Wayne State University (mentor Kezhong Zhang, PhD). She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in cardiometabolism research at Columbia University Medical Center (mentor Ira Tabas, MD, PhD). She has published in leading journals on a broad range of topics, including fibrinolysis, thrombosis, lipid and glucose metabolism, atherosclerosis, circadian rhythm, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and air pollution-associated liver injuries.

Her recent studies focus on the role of hepatocyte-derived fibrinolytic enzymes in obesity-associated atherosclerosis, thrombosis and hemostasis. Her research has been funded by a Berrie Scholar Award from Russell Berrie Foundation, an NIH T32 training grant, an ASH Scholar Award from American Society of Hematology, a Career Development Award from American Heart Association, a Career Development Award from National Hemophilia Foundation, a Cullen Scholar Award from Steve Cullen Run Foundation through MCW Cardiovascular Center, a Joan Gill Pilot Award from the Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin, Startup Fund from MCW and Versiti, and a recently awarded R01 from NHLBI. She serves as a member of the American Society of Hematology Task Force for PhD Careers, and the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) Ethics Committee and the Co-Chair of ISTH Fibrinolysis Subcommittee.

Secondary Appointments

Associate Investigator, Versiti Blood Research Institute, Blood Center of Wisconsin
Member, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin

Leadership Positions

External

Member, Task Force for PhD Careers, American Society of Hematology
Co-chair, Fibrinolysis Subcommittee, International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasias (ISTH)
Member, Ethics Committee, International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasias (ISTH)
Member, Conflict of Interest Policy and Process Focus Group, International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH)
Board Member, Fredrickson Lipid Research Conference Board of Directors
Co-chair, Planning Committee for 2024 Fredrickson Lipid Research Conference to be held in Milwaukee, WI
Member, Planning Committee Member, American Heart Association Committee for Scientific Sessions Programming, representing the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB)

Internal

Member, Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences (IDP) Recruiting Committee, Medical College of Wisconsin
Member, Seminar Series Committee, Versiti Blood Research Institute

Research Experience

Atherosclerosis
Circadian Rhythm
Fatty Liver
Fibrinolysis
Lipoproteins
Liver Cirrhosis
Metabolic Syndrome
Obesity
Thrombosis

Research Interests

A new link between fibrinolytic proteins and dyslipidemia
Fibrinolysis in hemophilia
Fibrinolysis in COVID-19
Circadian regulation of basal fibrinolysis and the morning onset of thrombotic events
The role of hepatocyte tPA in liver injuries

Tale of two systems: the intertwining duality of fibrinolysis and lipoprotein metabolism.

(Dai W, Castleberry M, Zheng Z.) J Thromb Haemost. 2023 Oct;21(10):2679-2696 PMID: 37579878 PMCID: PMC10599797 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85171457835 08/15/2023
Intracellular tPA-PAI-1 interaction determines VLDL assembly in hepatocytes.

(Dai W, Zhang H, Lund H, Zhang Z, Castleberry M, Rodriguez M, Kuriakose G, Gupta S, Lewandowska M, Powers HR, Valmiki S, Zhu J, Shapiro AD, Hussain MM, López JA, Sorci-Thomas MG, Silverstein RL, Ginsberg HN, Sahoo D, Tabas I, Zheng Z.) Science. 2023 Sep;381(6661):eadh5207 PMID: 37651538 PMCID: PMC10697821 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85169348601 08/31/2023
Plasma tissue-type plasminogen activator is associated with lipoprotein(a) and clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

(Zhang Z, Dai W, Zhu W, Rodriguez M, Lund H, Xia Y, Chen Y, Rau M, Schneider EA, Graham MB, Jobe S, Wang D, Cui W, Wen R, Whiteheart SW, Wood JP, Silverstein R, Berger JS, Kreuziger LB, Barrett TJ, Zheng Z.) Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2023 Aug;7(6):102164 PMID: 37680312 PMCID: PMC10480648 09/08/2023
Illustrated State-of-the-Art Capsules of the ISTH 2023 Congress.

(Kahn SR, Arnold DM, Casari C, Desch KC, Devreese KMJ, Favaloro EJ, Gaertner F, Gouw SC, Gresele P, Griffioen AW, Heger L, Kini RM, Kohli S, Leader A, Lisman T, Lordkipanidzé M, Mullins E, Okoye HC, Rosovsky RP, Salles-Crawley II, Selby R, Sholzberg M, Stegner D, Violi F, Weyand AC, Williams S, Zheng Z.) Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2023 May;7(4):100193 PMID: 37538494 PMCID: PMC10394567 08/04/2023
Assays to quantify fibrinolysis: strengths and limitations. Communication from the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Scientific and Standardization Committee on fibrinolysis.

(Zheng Z, Mukhametova L, Boffa MB, Moore EE, Wolberg AS, Urano T, Kim PY.) J Thromb Haemost. 2023 Apr;21(4):1043-1054 PMID: 36759279 PMCID: PMC10109242 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85150846431 02/10/2023
Collagen-Specific HSP47+ Myofibroblasts and CD163+ Macrophages Identify Profibrotic Phenotypes in Deceased Hearts With SARS-CoV-2 Infections.

(Puzyrenko A, Jacobs ER, Padilla N, Devine A, Aljadah M, Gantner BN, Pan AY, Lai S, Dai Q, Rubenstein JC, North PE, Simpson PM, Willoughby RE, O'Meara CC, Flinn MA, Lough JW, Ibrahim EH, Zheng Z, Sun Y, Felix J, Hunt BC, Ross G, Rui H, Benjamin IJ.) J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Feb 21;12(4):e027990 PMID: 36789856 PMCID: PMC10111490 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85148479620 02/16/2023
Blood tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) of liver origin contributes to neurovascular coupling involving brain endothelial N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptors.

(Furon J, Yetim M, Pouettre E, Martinez de Lizarrondo S, Maubert E, Hommet Y, Lebouvier L, Zheng Z, Ali C, Vivien D.) Fluids Barriers CNS. 2023 Feb 03;20(1):11 PMID: 36737775 PMCID: PMC9896721 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85147445875 02/05/2023
Editorial: Women in cardiovascular therapeutics.

(Yin L, Zhou T, Zheng Z, Long X, Qiu H, Lu HS.) Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1183427 PMID: 37234374 PMCID: PMC10207329 05/26/2023
CD47-SIRPα axis blockade in NASH promotes necroptotic hepatocyte clearance by liver macrophages and decreases hepatic fibrosis.

(Shi H, Wang X, Li F, Gerlach BD, Yurdagul A Jr, Moore MP, Zeldin S, Zhang H, Cai B, Zheng Z, Valenti L, Tabas I.) Sci Transl Med. 2022 Nov 23;14(672):eabp8309 PMID: 36417485 PMCID: PMC10199725 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85142940071 11/24/2022
Na/K-ATPase suppresses LPS-induced pro-inflammatory signaling through Lyn.

(Zhang J, Chang J, Beg MA, Huang W, Zhao Y, Dai W, Wu X, Cui W, Pillai SS, Lakhani HV, Sodhi K, Shapiro JI, Sahoo D, Zheng Z, Silverstein RL, Chen Y.) iScience. 2022 Sep 16;25(9):104963 PMID: 36072548 PMCID: PMC9442361 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85137074779 09/09/2022
The correlations among racial/ethnic groups, hypertriglyceridemia, thrombosis, and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

(Rodriguez M, Dai W, Lund H, Osinski K, Zhang Z, Silverstein R, Zheng Z.) Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2022 Sep;35(3):101386 PMID: 36494155 PMCID: PMC9527214 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85140078248 12/10/2022
COVID-19: A hematological perspective.

(Nayak L, Zheng Z.) Best Pract Res Clin Haematol. 2022 Sep;35(3):101412 PMID: 36494151 PMCID: PMC9633637 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85141789848 12/10/2022