The Zheng Laboratory

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Our Research Approach

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There is a fast-growing interest in investigating whether inflammation plays a causal role in the development of depression. Dr. Zheng’s lab leverages peripheral immune markers, behavioral measures and state-of-the-art neuroimaging tools, seeking to gain mechanistic insights into the relationship between the immune system and brain structural/functional alterations in the context of depression. The ultimate goal of Dr. Zheng’s lab is use the knowledge generated from her research program to develop actionable intervention strategies for depression.

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CONTACT DR. ZHENG

Research Program Highlights

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Accumulated evidence suggests that neurotropic viral infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be a targetable source of neuropathology in depression. This raises a possibility that reducing CMV infection may improve the structural and functional brain abnormalities associated with depression and bring therapeutic effect in some depressed patients. To test this hypothesis, Dr. Zheng is currently working with Dr. Jonathan Savitz to conduct a randomized placebo-controlled trial with an FDA-approved anti-CMV medication, valganciclovir (VGCV), to knock down CMV activity. ​​

Dr. Zheng is also interested in testing whether dysregulated brain-immune communication (i.e., the way the brain processes inflammatory signals) observed in MDD can be improved by using non-invasive interventions to reset the fine turned immune-brain communication. Such interventions could be (1) using ultrasound stimulation in the hub region of interoception, that is the insula; (2) using pharmacological challenge (i.e., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent ibuprofen) to stimulate immuno-interoception and the insula activity.

Scientific Background

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Dr. Zheng graduated from Fujian Medical University, Fujian, China in psychology (B.S.), including a one-year clinical internship at the university-affiliated psychiatry department. After 3 years of work experience at Janssen Pharmaceuticals of Johnson & Johnson (Fujian, China), she pursued her graduate education in clinical psychology (M.A.) and cognitive neuroscience (Ph.D.) at Shimane University (Shimane, Japan). During her Ph.D. training, she also received training in machine learning under the supervision of Dr. Masashi Sugiyama at RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (Tokyo, Japan). Dr. Zheng joined LIBR in 2019 as a postdoctoral fellow, working closely with Dr. Jonathan Savitz and Dr. Martin Paulus and began her position as a Research Associate in 2021.

Over the course of Dr. Zheng’s education and training, she has accumulated training and background in psychiatry, neuroscience, neuroimaging techniques, mathematics, statistics, and immunology. Her unique background has well positioned Dr. Zheng to carry out her own independent research which focuses on immunopsychiatry. 

Meet Our Team

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Ye Zhang
Graduate Student

Selected Publications

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Zheng H, Teague TK, Yeh FC, Burrows K, Figueroa-Hall LK, Aupperle RL, Khalsa SS, Paulus MP, Savitz J. C-Reactive protein and the kynurenic acid to quinolinic acid ratio are independently associated with white matter integrity in major depressive disorder. Brain Behav Immun. 2022 Oct;105:180-189.

Zheng H, Ford BN, Kuplicki R, Burrows K, Hunt PW, Bodurka J, Kent Teague T, Irwin MR, Yolken RH, Paulus MP, Savitz J. Association between cytomegalovirus infection, reduced gray matter volume, and resting-state functional hypoconnectivity in major depressive disorder: a replication and extension. Transl Psychiatry. 2021 Sep 7;11(1):464.

Zheng H, Teague TK, Yeh FC, Burrows K, Figueroa-Hall LK, Aupperle RL, Khalsa SS, Paulus MP, Savitz J. C-Reactive protein and the kynurenic acid to quinolinic acid ratio are independently associated with white matter integrity in major depressive disorder. Brain Behav Immun. 2022 Oct;105:180-189.

Thomas M, Savitz J, Zhang Y, Burrows K, Smith R, Figueroa-Hall L, Kuplicki R, Khalsa SS, Taki Y, Teague TK, Irwin MR, Yeh FC, Paulus MP, Zheng H, On Behalf Of Tulsa Investigators. Elevated Systemic Inflammation Is Associated with Reduced Corticolimbic White Matter Integrity in Depression. Life (Basel). 2021 Dec 28;12(1):43.

Zheng H, Bergamino M, Ford BN, Kuplicki R, Yeh FC, Bodurka J, Burrows K; Tulsa 1000 Investigators, Hunt PW, Teague TK, Irwin MR, Yolken RH, Paulus MP, Savitz J. Replicable association between human cytomegalovirus infection and reduced white matter fractional anisotropy in major depressive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2021 Apr;46(5):928-938.

Thomas M, Savitz J, Zhang Y, Burrows K, Smith R, Figueroa-Hall L, Kuplicki R, Khalsa SS, Taki Y, Teague TK, Irwin MR, Yeh FC, Paulus MP, Zheng H, On Behalf Of Tulsa Investigators. Elevated Systemic Inflammation Is Associated with Reduced Corticolimbic White Matter Integrity in Depression. Life (Basel). 2021 Dec 28;12(1):43.

Zheng H, Ford BN, Bergamino M, Kuplicki R; Tulsa 1000 Investigators, Hunt PW, Bodurka J, Teague TK, Irwin MR, Yolken RH, Paulus MP, Savitz J. A hidden menace? Cytomegalovirus infection is associated with reduced cortical gray matter volume in major depressive disorder. Mol Psychiatry. 2021 Aug;26(8):4234-4244.

Zheng H, Onoda K, Wada Y, Mitaki S, Nabika T, Yamaguchi S. Serotonin-1A receptor C-1019G polymorphism affects brain functional networks. Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 2;7(1):12536.

Zheng H, Onoda K, Nagai A, Yamaguchi S. Reduced Dynamic Complexity of BOLD Signals Differentiates Mild Cognitive Impairment From Normal Aging. Front Aging Neurosci. 2020 Apr 8;12:90.

FULL LIST OF PUBLICATIONS