Personal Profile

• Obtained a Ph.D. in Microbiology in 2002.
• Conducted postdoctoral training at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Virginia, USA from 2002 to 2004.
• Served as a Research Assistant at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), USA from 2005 to 2008.
• Was recruited as a "Hundred Talents Plan" introduced talent and appointed by Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University in 2009.
• Research areas include the interaction between host cells and arboviruses, cellular responses against viral infections, screening of antiviral drugs, etc.

Academic Achievements

1. Changbai Huang, Fei Feng, Yongxia Shi, Wenhui Li, Ziqiao Wang, Yunkai Zhu, Shuai Yuan, Dandan Hu, Jun Dai, Qiqi Jiang, Rong Zhang, Chao Liu*, Ping Zhang*. Protein Kinase C inhibitors reduce SARS-CoV-2 replication in cultured cells. Microbiology Spectrum, 2022, e0105622
2. Shili Zhou, Quanshi Lin, Changbai Huang, Xiaocao Ma, Xiaotong Luo, Xu Tian, Chao Liu*, Ping Zhang* Rottlerin plays an antiviral role at early and late steps of Zika virus infection. Virologica Sinica. 2022, 37 (5) 685–694
3. Huixin Gao#, Yuxia Lin #, Changbai Huang#, Xiaobo Li, Michael S. Diamond, Chao Liu, Rong Zhang*, and Ping Zhang* A genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies HuR as a regulator of apoptosis induced by dsRNA and virus. Journal of Cell Science, 2022, 135(6): jcs.258855
4. Yuxia Lin#, Changbai Huang #, Huixin Gao, Xiaobo Li, Quanshi Lin, Shili Zhou, Zhiting Huo, Yanxia Huang, Chao Liu*, Ping Zhang*. AMBRA1 promotes dsRNA- and virus-induced apoptosis through interacting with and stabilizing MAVS. Journal of Cell Science, 2021, 135(1):jcs258910
5. Yi Wang, Zhiting Huo, Quanshi Lin, Yuxia Lin, Cancan Chen, Yanxia Huang, Changbai Huang, Junfang He, Chao Liu*, Ping Zhang*. Positive feedback loop of lncRNA OASL-IT1 and innate immune response restricts the replication of Zika virus in epithelial A549 cells. Journal of Innate Immunity, 2021,13(2):1-15
6. Yanxia Huang#, Quanshi Lin#, Zhiting Huo, Cancan Chen, Shili Zhou, Xiaocao Ma, Huixin Gao, Yuxia Lin, Xiaobo Li, Junfang He, Ping Zhang*, and Chao Liu*. Inositol requiring enzyme 1α promotes Zika virus infection through regulating stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 mediated lipid metabolism.  Journal of Virology, 2020, 94(23):e01229-20
7. Quanshi Lin#, Shili Zhou#, Yanxia Huang, Zhiting Huo, Cancan Chen, Xin Luo, Junfang He, Chao Liu*, and Ping Zhang*. ANKS4B restricts replication of Zika virus by downregulating the autophagy. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2020, 11:1745.
8. Shili Zhou, Chao Yang, Fanfan Zhao, Yanxia Huang, Yuxia Lin, Changbai Huang, Xiaocao Ma, Jingjie Du, Yi Wang, Gang Long, Junfang He, Chao Liu*, and Ping Zhang*. Double-stranded RNA deaminase ADAR1 promotes the Zika virus replication by inhibiting the activation of protein kinase PKR. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2019, 294(48):18168-18180.
9. Yi Wang#, Xiaoyan Chen#, Jiong Xie, Shili Zhou, Yanxia Huang, Yiping Li, Xiaobo Li, Chao Liu, Junfang He*, Ping Zhang* . RNA helicase A is an important host factor involved in dengue virus replication. Journal of Virology, 2019, 93(4): e01306-18
10. Huixin Gao#, Yuxia Lin#, Junfang He, Shili Zhou, Mujiao Liang, Changbai Huang, Xiaobo Li, Chao Liu*, Ping Zhang*. Role of heparan sulfate in the Zika virus entry, replication, and cell death. Virology, 2019, 529: 91-100
11. Yi Wang, Ping Zhang*. Recent advances in the identification of the host factors involved in dengue virus replication. Virology Sinica, 2017, 32(1)23–31
12. Feng Xu, Xiaobo Li, Peifen Zhang, Jun Xia, Yi Wang, Chao Yang, Huixin Gao, Shili Zhou, Ping Zhang*. Melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 is involved in the induction of stress granules and autophagy by protonophore CCCP. Biological Chemistry, 2016, 397 (1):67-74
13. Yuye Li#, Siyu Wu#, Jieying Pu, Xi Huang, Ping Zhang*. Dengue Virus Upregulates Expression of Notch Ligands Dll1 and Dll4 Through IFN-β Signaling Pathway. Immunology, 2015, 144(1):127-38
14. Xiaoyan Chen, Jun Xia, Qirui Zhao, Yi Wang, Jingyu Liu, Lianqiang Feng, Junfang He*, Ping Zhang*. Eukaryotic initiation factor 4AI interacts with NS4A of Dengue virus and plays an antiviral role. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2015, 461 (1): 148-153
15. Jun Xia#, Xiaoyan Chen#, Feng Xu, Yi Wang, Yongxia Shi, Yuye Li, Junfang He*, Ping Zhang*. Infection of Dengue virus induces formation of G3BP1 granules in human lung epithelial cells. Archives of Virology, 2015, 160(12):2991-2999
16. Peifen Zhang#, Yuye Li#, Jun Xia, Junfang He, Jieying Pu, Jiong Xie, Siyu Wu, Lianqiang Feng, Xi Huang, Ping Zhang*. IPS-1 plays an essential role in dsRNA-induced stress granule formation by interacting with PKR and promoting its activation. Journal of Cell Science, 2014, 127: 2471-2482

Research Projects

• National Natural Science Foundation of China General Project, 82271385, Study on the Mechanism of Action of Nuclear Membrane Protein SUN2 in Zika Virus-induced Neurological Diseases.
• Key R & D Program of Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau, 202206010114, Research on the Mechanism and Application of Anti-RNA Viral Drugs.
• National Natural Science Foundation of China General Project, 31970887, A Novel Long Non-coding RNA Inhibits Zika Virus Replication by Positively Regulating Interferon Production through Positive Feedback.
• General Project of Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, 2021A1515011491, Screening of Zika Virus Host Factors and Functional Study Based on CRISPR/Cas9 Technology.
• National Natural Science Foundation of China General Project, 81371794, Molecular Mechanism of Notch Regulation by Dengue Virus and Its Influence on Innate Immunity and Viral Replication.
• National Natural Science Foundation of China General Project, 81171576, Regulatory Role and Molecular Mechanism of PKR in the Process of Dengue Virus-induced Interferon Synthesis.
• National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Project, 30901345, Identification and Functional Analysis of Innate Immunity-related Proteins Interacting with PKR Protein Kinase.
• Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project, 2017A050501012, Molecular Mechanism Study on the Promotion of Zika Virus Replication by RNA Editing Enzyme ADAR1.
• Funded Project of Basic Scientific Research Business Expenses of Central Universities, 17ykjc01, Identification of Key Regulatory Molecules of Non-apoptotic Cell Death and Their Role in Dengue Virus Immuno-pathology.
• Key Project of Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, 2014A030311007, Molecular Mechanism of PKR-interacting Protein RHA Promoting Dengue Virus Replication.
• General Project of Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, S2013010016454, Macrophages Inhibit Dengue Virus Replication by Activating Notch Signaling.
• General Project of Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, 9151008901000083, Identification and Functional Analysis of Innate Immunity Regulatory Proteins Interacting with PKR.

Academic Affiliations
Member of the American Society for Virology