Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Personal profile
Research Interests: Metabolic diseases, Adipose tissue biology, Bile acid signaling, Nuclear receptor
Teaching: Cell Biology, Stem Cell Biology, Principles of Pathology, Undergraduate Seminar
Dr. Zhou is an Assistant Professor of Biology in the School of Biological Sciences. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, and his research program is focused on bile acid and nuclear receptor signaling in adipose tissue biology.
Bile acids are cholesterol metabolites that facilitate fat absorption and are also signaling molecules to regulate whole-body metabolism by activating nuclear receptors. The Zhou laboratory is particularly interested in uncovering the novel roles and molecular mechanism(s) of bile acid and its receptor Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) signaling in regulating metabolic functions of energy-burning brown adipose tissue, and delineating the systemic effects of adipose tissue-specific FXR in normal physiology and metabolic disease states. To address these questions, we use novel adipose tissue-specific genetic mouse models, cell cultures, molecular, cellular, and systemic biology approaches. Our research aims to identify novel strategies to treat obesity and its related metabolic disorders.
Education & Training
- Postdoc in Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018 - 2024
- Ph.D. in Animal Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2018
- M.S. in Animal Genetics & Breeding, Northeast Agricultural University, China, 2013
- B.S. in Animal Science, Northeast Agricultural University, China, 2010
Related documents
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Training the next-generation of biomedical scientists through artificial intelligence-driven education and research in pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
Kumar, S., Karwasra, R., Zhou, W., Seetharaman, J. & Singla, B., Apr 22 2026, In: Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.). 251, p. 10988Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Deleting adipose FXR exacerbates metabolic defects and induces endocannabinoid lipid, 2-oleoyl glycerol, in obesity
Zhou, W., Bandara, S. R., Ko, K., Akinrotimi, O., Hernández-Saavedra, D., Richter, E., Brauer, N., Woodward, T. J., Bradshaw, H. B., Leal, C. & Anakk, S., Feb 2025, In: Journal of lipid research. 66, 3, p. 100754 100754.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Chenodeoxycholic Acid-Loaded Nanoparticles Are Sufficient to Decrease Adipocyte Size by Inducing Mitochondrial Function
Zhou, W., Lew, B., Choi, H., Kim, K. & Anakk, S., Jan 7 2024, In: Nano Letters. 24, 5, p. 1642-1649 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Diet-Induced Obesity Modulates Close-Packing of Triacylglycerols in Lipid Droplets of Adipose Tissue
Ko, K., Bandara, S. R., Zhou, W., Svenningsson, L., Porras-Gómez, M., Kambar, N., Dreher-Threlkeld, J., Topgaard, D., Hernández-Saavedra, D., Anakk, S. & Leal, C., Nov 18 2024, In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. 146, 50, p. 34796-34810 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Pathological bile acid concentrations in chronic cholestasis cause adipose mitochondrial defects
Zhou, W., VanDuyne, P., Zhang, C., Liu, Y., Riessen, R., Barragan, M., Rowitz, B. M., Teran-Garcia, M., Boppart, S. A. & Anakk, S., May 2023, In: JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology. 5, 5, p. 100714 100714.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review