Education:
1998 - 2002 B.S., Biological Sciences, Tsinghua University, China
2003 - 2009 Ph.D., The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA (Mentor: Zhijian "James" Chen, Ph.D.)
Professional Positions:
2009 - 2011 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Discovery Immunology, Genentech Inc., USA (Mentor: Harinder Singh, Ph.D.)
2011 - 2014 Postdoctoral Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, The Rockefeller University, USA (Mentor: Jeffrey M. Friedman, Ph.D.)
2014 - 2020 Principal Investigator, Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua, University, China
2018 - present Associate director, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases
2020 - 2023 Associate Professor (Tenured), Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua, University, China
2023 - 2024 Professor, Institute for Immunology and School of Medicine, Tsinghua, University, China
2024 - present Professor, Institute for Immunology and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Associate editor
Associate editor
2024-present Molecular Immunology, Associate editor
2022-present AJP-Endo, Associate editor
2023-present Editorial board member, Protein & Cell
2023-present Editorial board member, Science Bulletin
2023-present Editorial board member, Journal of Genetics and Genomics
2022-present Editorial board member, Advanced Science
2020-present Editorial board member, Oxford Open Immunology
Research Areas:
The Zeng lab's research focuses on exploring the brain-body interaction underlying energy balance and diseases to better understand fundamental biological processes and enhance therapeutic interventions. Currently, our primary direction is metabolic homeostasis and diseases, particularly the inter-organ neural and immune regulation of metabolism and neuroinflammation. An in-depth understanding of these processes may provide key insights into the therapeutics of metabolic and neuronal diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Honors and Awards:
2023 Career Award for Women Scientists, Chinese Society for Cell Biology
2022 The National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholar
2018 The National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholar
2018 Young Investigator Award, Lipid Metabolism and Bioenergetics Subsociety of the Biophysical Society of China
2016 Outstanding Young Scholar Award, Qiu-Shi Science & Technologies Foundation
2015 National Young Investigator Award
Selected Publications:
1.Dai Y.*, Ni X.*, Zeng W.# (2024) Neuroimmune interaction of the lung. Biomedical Transformation.
2.Ding, X.*, Sun, M.*, Guo, F.*, Qian, X.*, Yuan, H., Lou, W., Wang, Q., Lei, X.#, Zeng, W.# (2024) Picrasidine S induces cGAS-mediated cellular immune response as a novel vaccine adjuvant. Advanced Science.
3.Qian, X.*, Tong, M.*, Zhang, T.*, Li, Q., Hua, M., Zhou, N., Zeng, W.# (2024) IL-24 promotes atopic dermatitis-like inflammation through driving MRSA-induced allergic responses. Protein & Cell.
4.Zhang, T.*, Qian, X.*, Li, Q., Du, X., Fu, X., Gu, H., Zeng, W.#, Wei, B.# (2024) Programmable in vitro and in vivo folding of single-stranded nucleic acid wireframe origami. Chem.
5.Ren, W., Chen, J., Wang, W., Li, Q., Yin, X., Zhuang, G., Zhou, H.#, Zeng, W.# (2024) Sympathetic nerve-enteroendocrine L cell communication modulates GLP-1 release, brain glucose utilization, and cognitive function. Neuron. 112(6): 972-990 e8.
6.Ren, W.*, Hua, M.*, Cao, F.#, Zeng, W.# (2024) The sympathetic-immune milieu in metabolic health and diseases: insights from pancreas, liver, intestine and adipose tissues. Adv Sci. 11(8): e2306128.
7.Ding, X., Chen J., and Zeng, W.# (2024) Neuroimmune regulation in the pancreas. Fundamental Research. 4(2):201-205
8.Wan, Y. and Zeng, W.# (2023) Neural innervation and regulation of adipose tissue. Progress in Physiological Sciences.
9.Sun, M.*, Wan, Y.*, Sun, M.*, Meng, Z.#, Zeng, W.# (2023) Neural innervation in adipose tissue, gut, pancreas, and liver. Life Metab. 2(4).
10.Zhang, S., Chen, J., Li, Q., and Zeng, W.# (2023) Opioid growth factor receptor promotes adipose tissue thermogenesis via enhancing lipid oxidation. Life Metab. 2(3).
11.Zhang, T.*#, Qian, X.*, Zeng, W.#, and Wei, B.# (2023) Custom folding of double-stranded DNA directed by triplex formation. Chem. 9(6): 1507-1517.
12.Li, Q., and Zeng, W.# (2023) Sensing and acting: Full circle in fat. Cell Metab. 35(1):9-11.
13.Jiang, M., and Zeng, W.# (2023) Antiviral immunity rewired for axon regeneration. Cell Rep Med. 4(1):100907.
14.Liu, Z., Xie, H., Li, L., Jiang, D., Qian, Y., Zhu, X., Dai, M., Li, Y., Wei, R., Luo, Z., Xu, W., Zheng, Q., Shen, J., Zhou, M., Zeng, W.# and Chen, W.# (2023). Single-cell landscape reveals the epithelial cell-centric pro-inflammatory immune microenvironment in dry eye development. Mucosal Immunol. 10.1016/j.mucimm.2023.11.008.
15.Meng, X., Chen J.#, and Zeng, W.# (2023) Stromal cell-derived NGF controls sympathetic innervation in subcutaneous fat. J Lipid Res. 64(2):100264.
16.Guo, Z., Yang, H., Zhang, J.R., Zeng, W.#, and Hu, X.# (2022) Leptin receptor signaling sustains metabolic fitness of alveolar macrophages to attenuate pulmonary inflammation. Sci Adv 8(28): eabo3064.
17.Zeng, W.#, Yang, F.#, Shen, W.#, Zhan, C.#, Zheng, P.#, and Hu, J. (2022) Interactions between central nervous system and peripheral metabolic organs, Science China Life Sciences. 65(10):1929-1958.
18.Xie, H., Heier, C., Meng, X., Bakiri, L., Pototschnig, I., Tang, Z., Schauer, S., Baumgartner, V.J., Grabner, G.F., Schabbauer, G., Wolinski, H., Robertsong, G.R., Hoefler, G., Zeng, W., Wagner, E.F., Schweiger, M.#, and Zechner, R.# (2022) An immune-sympathetic neuron communication axis guides adipose tissue browning in cancer-associated cachexia, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 119(9).
19.Meng, X.*, Qian, X.*, Ding, X.*, Wang, W.*, Yin, X.#, Zhuang, G.#, and Zeng, W.# (2022) Eosinophils regulate intra-adipose axonal plasticity, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 119(3).
20.Qian, X., Meng, X., Zhang, S., and Zeng, W.# (2022) Neuroimmune regulation of white adipose tissues. FEBS J. 289(24), 7830-7853.
21.Zeng, W.#, and Qian, X. (2021) Neuronal regulation of adipose tissue biology in neuron signaling in metabolic regulation (Tong, Q., ed), CRC Press.
22.Meng, X., and Zeng, W.# (2021) Fat mesenchyme closes the neural-ILC2 circuit, Immunity. 54(10), 2191-2193.
23.Zhuo, W.#, Zhou, H., Guo, R., Yi, J., Zhang, L., Yu, L., Sui, Y., Zeng, W., Wang, P.#, and Yang, M.# (2021) Structure of intact human MCU supercomplex with the auxiliary MICU subunits, Protein Cell. 12(3), 220-229.
24.Zhang, S., Zhou, J., Zhang, Y., Liu, T., Friedel, P., Zhuo, W., Somasekharan, S., Roy, K., Zhang, L., Liu, Y., Meng, X., Deng, H., Zeng, W., Li, G.#, Forbush, B.#, and Yang, M.# (2021) The structural basis of function and regulation of neuronal cotransporters NKCC1 and KCC2, Commun Biol. 4(1), 226.
25.Sui, Y., and Zeng, W.# (2020) MS4A4A regulates Arginase 1 induction during macrophage polarization and lung inflammation in mice, Eur J Immunol. 50(10), 1602-1605.
26.Meng, X., Zeng, W., Young, S. G.#, and Fong, L. G. (2020) GPIHBP1, a partner protein for lipoprotein lipase, is expressed only in capillary endothelial cells, J Lipid Res. 61(5), 591.
27.Hu, Z.*, Deng, N.*, Liu, K., Zhou, N., Sun, Y., and Zeng, W.# (2020) CNTF-STAT3-IL-6 Axis Mediates Neuroinflammatory Cascade across Schwann Cell-Neuron-Microglia, Cell Rep. 31(7), 107657.
28.Hu, Z., Deng, N., Liu, K., and Zeng, W.# (2019) DLK mediates the neuronal intrinsic immune response and regulates glial reaction and neuropathic pain, Exp Neurol. 322, 113056.
29.Wang, Q.*, Zhang, S.*, Liu, T.*, Wang, H., Liu, K., Wang, Q., and Zeng, W.# (2018) Sarm1/Myd88-5 Regulates Neuronal Intrinsic Immune Response to Traumatic Axonal Injuries, Cell Rep. 23(3), 716-724.
30.Hu, Z., and Zeng, W.# (2018). Splenic Leukocytes Get the Nerves up for Myelopoiesis. Immunity. 49(1), 1-3.
31.Zhang, S.*, Li, N.*, Zeng, W., Gao, N.#, and Yang, M.# (2017). Cryo-EM structures of the mammalian endo-lysosomal TRPML1 channel elucidate the combined regulation mechanism. Protein Cell. 8(11), 834-847.
32.Jiang, H.*, Ding, X.*, Cao, Y., Wang, H., and Zeng, W.# (2017). Dense Intra-adipose Sympathetic Arborizations Are Essential for Cold-Induced Beiging of Mouse White Adipose Tissue. Cell Metab. 26(4), 686-692 e683.
33.Zeng, W.*, Pirzgalska, R.M.*, Pereira, M.M., Kubasova, N., Barateiro, A., Seixas, E., Lu, Y.H., Kozlova, A., Voss, H., Martins, G.G., et al. (2015). Sympathetic neuro-adipose connections mediate leptin-driven lipolysis. Cell. 163(1), 84-94.
34.Zeng, W.*, Lu, Y.H.*, Lee, J., and Friedman, J.M. # (2015). Reanalysis of parabiosis of obesity mutants in the age of leptin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 112(29), E3874-3882.
35.Peng, Y.*, Zeng, W.*, Ye, H., Han, K.H., Dharmarajan, V., Novick, S., Wilson, I.A., Griffin, P.R., Friedman, J.M., and Lerner, R.A.# (2015). A General Method for Insertion of Functional Proteins within Proteins via Combinatorial Selection of Permissive Junctions. Chem Biol. 22(8), 1134-1143.
36.Glasmacher, E.*, Agrawal, S.*, Chang, A.B.*, Murphy, T.L.*, Zeng, W.*, Vander Lugt, B., Khan, A.A., Ciofani, M., Spooner, C.J., Rutz, S., et al. (2012). A genomic regulatory element that directs assembly and function of immune-specific AP-1-IRF complexes. Science. 338(6109), 975-980.
37.Rutz, S., Noubade, R., Eidenschenk, C., Ota, N., Zeng, W., Zheng, Y., Hackney, J., Ding, J., Singh, H., and Ouyang, W.# (2011). Transcription factor c-Maf mediates the TGF-beta-dependent suppression of IL-22 production in T(H)17 cells. Nat Immunol. 12(12), 1238-1245.
38.Zeng, W.*, Sun, L.*, Jiang, X., Chen, X., Hou, F., Adhikari, A., Xu, M., and Chen, Z.J.# (2010). Reconstitution of the RIG-I pathway reveals a signaling role of unanchored polyubiquitin chains in innate immunity. Cell. 141(2), 315-330.
39.Zeng, W., Xu, M., Liu, S., Sun, L.#, and Chen, Z.J.# (2009). Key role of Ubc5 and lysine-63 polyubiquitination in viral activation of IRF3. Mol Cell. 36(2), 315-325.
40.Xu, M., Skaug, B., Zeng, W., and Chen, Z.J.# (2009). A ubiquitin replacement strategy in human cells reveals distinct mechanisms of IKK activation by TNFalpha and IL-1beta. Mol Cell. 36(2), 302-314.
41.Xia, Z.P., Sun, L., Chen, X., Pineda, G., Jiang, X., Adhikari, A., Zeng, W., and Chen, Z.J.# (2009). Direct activation of protein kinases by unanchored polyubiquitin chains. Nature. 461(7260), 114-119.
42.Zeng, W., and Chen, Z.J.# (2008). MITAgating viral infection. Immunity. 29(4), 513-515.
43.Yang, M., Xu, G., Li, S., Sun, L., Shi, N., Zeng, W., Pang, H., Zhang, W., and Rao, Z.# (2003). Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the extracellular fragment of FcalphaRI/CD89. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 59, 2251-2253.
44.Sun, Z.H., Lai, Y.L., Zeng, W., Zhao, D., Zuo, H.C., and Xie, Z.P.# (2003). Neural stem/progenitor cells survive and differentiate better in PD rats than in normal rats. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 87, 169-174.
45.Sun, Z.H., Lai, Y.L., Zeng, W., Zhao, D., Ye, Z.W., Zuo, H.C., and Xie, Z.P.# (2003). Mesencephalic progenitors can improve rotational behavior and reconstruct nigrostriatal pathway in PD rats. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 87, 175-180.
Complete list of publications: ORCID: 0000-0001-8544-3318
