Research Areas
Our major research interests are to use multiple model systems including C. elegans, mammalian cells and mice to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of energy homeostasis, aging and aging related diseases. Our goal is to use genetic and nutrition intervention approaches to promote healthy aging.

Brief Biography
Education
2006-2012: Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China
2002-2006: B.S. Biochemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Academic Background
2020-Present: Professor, Principal Investigator, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS
2013-2019: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Center for Genetic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Selected Publications (*Corresponding Author)

1. Qilong Chen^#, Jialu Guo^#, Yuyi Liu, Tai Du, Jiapei Liu, Yuyao Zhang, Yuming Dai, Mengdi Zhang, Ziqian Zhou, Qiyang Zhang, Caixia Wei, Qiurong Ding, Jun Qin, Qiwei Zhai, Ju Qiu, Mengle Shao, Fang Zhang*, Alexander A. Soukas*, Ben Zhou*. Serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 3 orchestrates glucocorticoid signaling to facilitate chromatin remodeling during murine adipogenesis. J Clin Invest 2025 Jul 24;135(19):e186534
2. Lu Cheng, Jinwei Cheng, Guiling Liang, Xiaorui Wang, Yanwen Ge, Jiapei Liu, Luwei Cai, Hui Ying, Fenfen Wang, Jing Hu, Yufan Wang, Philipp E Scherer, Ben Zhou*, Mengle Shao*, Fang Zhang*. PDGFRα⁺DPP4⁺ Fibroblasts-Macrophage Crosstalk Induces Orbital Fibrosis in Treatment-Resistant Thyroid Eye Disease via the GAS6-AXL Pathway. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2025 Sep 29:e11404.
3. Xinru Hu, Cheng Yao, Baosheng Wang, Yuyang Zhang, Jinwen Yang, Yan Dong, Yi Li, Danyang Wang, Xiaohua Chen, Yanyan Deng, Guangbo Ge, Ben Zhou, Xiao Luo, Xuhong Qian, Youjun Yang*. Near-Infrared Biosensing of Drug-Induced Cell-Heterogeneous Injuries with an Ultrahigh Turn-On Ratio. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2025 Aug 11;64(33):e202503579.
4. Lingxia Wang, Xixi Zhang, Haiwei Zhang, Kaili Lu, Ming Li, Xiaoming Li, Yangjing Ou, Xiaoming Zhao, Xiaoxia Wu, Xuanhui Wu, Jianling Liu, Mingyan Xing, Han Liu, Yue Zhang, Yongchang Tan, Fang Li, Xiaoxue Deng, Jiangshan Deng, Xiaojie Zhang, Jinbao Li, Yuwu Zhao, Qiurong Ding, Haikun Wang, Xiuzhe Wang*, Yan Luo*, Ben Zhou*, Haibing Zhang*. Excessive apoptosis of Rip1‐ deficient T cells leads to premature aging. EMBO Rep 2023 Dec 6;24(12):e57925.
5. Yanni Zhang, Qiulei Xi, Ming Zhong, Yi Jiang, Qiulin Zhuang, Zuoyou Ding, Shanjun Tan, Junjie Wang, Hao Liu, Zhige Zhang, Ben Zhou*, Guohao Wu*. Tumor‐derived semaphorin 3D promoting cancer cachexia via regulating hypothalamic pro‐opiomelanocortin neurons. FASEB J 2023 Jun;37(6):e22980.
6. Zhou B*, Zhang Y, Li S, Wu L, Fejes-Toth G, Naray-Fejes-Toth A, Soukas AA*. Serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase drives hepatic insulin resistance by directly inhibiting AMP-activated protein kinase. Cell Rep 2021 Oct 5;37(1):109785.
7. Xin Lin, Guangyi Dai, Sumei Zhou, Yangyang Li, Ben Zhou, Yi-Hsuan Pan, Haipeng Li*. Sociability genetically separable from social hierarchy in amniotes. iScience 2025 Jun 18;28(7):112930.
8. Junli Ma, Mingxiao Li, Yiyang Bao, Wenjin Huang, Xiaofang He, Ying Hong, Wenjing Wei, Zekun Liu, Xinxin Gao, Yang Yang, Zhengyu Cui, Wantao Wang, Jie Wang, Weize Zhu, Ningning Zheng, Lingyun Pan, Deheng Wang, Zunji Ke, Ben Zhou, Lili Sheng, Houkai Li*. Gut microbiota-brain bile acid axis orchestrates aging-related neuroinflammation and behavior impairment in mice. Pharmacol Res 2024 Oct:208:107361.
9. Yuexiao Tang^#, Tao Yao^#, Xin Tian Xintong Xia, Xingxiao Huang, Zhewen Qin, Zhong Shen, Lin Zhao, Yaping Zhao, Bowen Diao, Yan Ping, Xiaoxiao Zheng, Yonghao Xu, Hui Chen, Tao Qian, Tao Ma, Ben Zhou, Suowen Xu, Qimin Zhou, Yong Liu, Mengle Shao, Wei Chen*, Bo Shan*, Ying Wu*. Hepatic IRE1α-XBP1 signaling promotes GDF15-mediated anorexia and body weight loss in chemotherapy. J Exp Med 2024 Jul 1;221(7):e20231395.
10. Yanhao Chen^#, Lanlan Chen^#, Xiaoshan Wu^#, Yongxu Zhao, Yuchen Wang, Dacheng Jiang, Xiaojian Liu, Tingting Zhou, Shuang Li, Yuda Wei, Yan Liu, Cheng Hu, Ben Zhou, Jun Qin, Hao Ying, Qiurong Ding*. Acute liver steatosis translationally controls the epigenetic regulator MIER1 to promote liver regeneration in a study with male mice. Nature Communication 2023 Mar 18;14(1):1521.
11. Yongxu Zhao, Shuang Li, Yanhao Chen, Yuchen Wang, Yuda Wei, Tingting Zhou, Yuwei Zhang, Yuanyuan Yang, Lanlan Chen, Yan Liu, Cheng Hu, Ben Zhou, Qiurong Ding*. Histone phosphorylation integrates the hepatic glucagon-PKA-CREB gluconeogenesis program in response to fasting. Molecular Cell 2023 Apr 6;83(7):1093-1108.e8.
12. Junli Ma, Zekun Liu, Xinxin Gao, Yiyang Bao, Ying Hong, Xiaofang He, Weize Zhu, Yan Li, Wenjin Huang, Ningning Zheng, Lili Sheng, Ben Zhou, Hongzhuan Chen, Houkai Li*. Gut microbiota remodeling improves natural aging-related disorders through Akkermansia muciniphila and its derived acetic acid. Pharmacol Res 2023 Mar:189:106687.
13. Cheng Tian, Xuewen Min, Yongxu Zhao, Yuchen Wang, Xiaoshan Wu, Situn Liu, Wei Dou, Tingting Zhou, Yan Liu, Rongkui Luo, Zhigang Li, Kathy O Lui, Yu Li, Ben Zhou, Qiurong Ding*. MRG15 aggravates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis progression by regulating the mitochondrial proteolytic degradation of TUFM. Journal of Hepatology 2022 Dec;77(6):1491-1503.
14. Jian Yu, Xin Chen, Yuanjin Zhang, Xiangdi Cui, Zhe Zhang, Wenxiu Guo, Dongmei Wang, Shengbo Huang, Yanru Chen, Yepeng Hu, Cheng Zhao, Jin Qiu, Yu Li, Meiyao Meng, Mingwei Guo, Fei Shen, Mengdi Zhang, Ben Zhou, Xuejiang Gu, Jiqiu Wang, Xin Wang, Xinran Ma*, Lingyan Xu*. Antibiotic Azithromycin inhibits brown/beige fat functionality and promotes obesity in human and rodents. Theranostics 2022 Jan 1;12(3):1187-1203.
15. Jun Han, Yuchen Wang, Yan Qiu, Diya Sun, Yan Liu, Zhigang Li, Ben Zhou, Haibing Zhang, Yichuan Xiao, Guohao Wu*, Qiurong Ding*. Single-cell sequencing unveils key contributions of immune cell populations in cancer-associated adipose wasting. Cell Discovery 2022 Nov 15;8(1):122.
16. Wang F, Dai Y, Zhu X, Chen Q, Zhu H, Zhou B, Tang H, Pang S*. Saturated very long chain fatty acid configures glycosphingolipid for lysosome homeostasis in long-lived C. elegans. Nature Communication 2021 Aug 20;12(1):5073.