*：Co-first author; #：Co-corresponding author
1.Wang H*, Chen W*, Dong Z*, Xing G, Cui W, Yao L, Zou W, Robinson H, Bian Y, Liu Z, Zhao K, Luo B, Yu Z, Meixiong J, Xiong WC, Mei L. A novel spinal neuron connection for heat sensation. Neuron , 2022; 110, 2315-2333.
2.Dong Z*, Chen W*, Chen C, Wang H, Cui W, Tan Z, Robinson H, Gao N, Luo B, Zhang L, Zhao K, Xiong WC, Mei L. CUL3 deficiency causes social deficits and anxiety-like behaviors by impairing excitation-inhibition balance through the promotion of Cap-dependent translation. Neuron , 2020; 105, 475-490. (Cover article).
3.Yang L*, Guo C*, Zheng Z*, Dong Y*, Xie Q, Lv Z, Li M, Lu Y, Guo X, Deng R, Liu Y, Feng Y, Mu R, Zhang X, Ma H, Chen Z, Zhang Z, Dong Z, Yang W, ZhangX#, Cui Y#. Stress dynamically modulates neuronal autophagy to gate depression onset. Nature . 2025; 641, 427–437.
4.Zheng Z*, Liu Y*, Mu R, Guo X, Feng Y, Gao C, Yang L, Qiu W, Zhang Q, Yang W, Dong Z, Qiu S, Dong Y#, Cui Y#. (2024) A small population of stree-responsive neurons in the lateral hypothalamus-lateral habenula circuit mediate the development of depression-like behaviors in mice. Neuron , 2024; 112, 3924-3939.
5.Yang L*, Wei M*, Wang Y*, Zhang J, Liu S, Liu M, Wang S, Li K, Dong Z, Zhang C. Rabphilin-3A undergoes phase separation to regulate GluN2A mobility and surface clustering. Nat Commun. , 2023; 14(1):379.
6.Wang H, Cui W, Chen W, Liu F, Dong Z, Xing G, Luo B, Gao N, Zou W, and Zhao K, Zhang H, Ren X, Yu Z, Robinson H, Liu Z, Xiong WC, Mei L#.The laterodorsal tegmentum-ventral tegmental area circuit controls depression-like behaviors by activating ErbB4 in DA neurons. Mol Psychiatry ., 2023; 28, 1027-1045.
7.Cui W*, Gao N*, Dong Z, Shen C, Zhang H, Luo B, Chen P, Comoletti D, Jing H, Wang H, Robinson H, Xiong WC, Mei L#. In trans neuregulin3-Caspr3 interaction controls DA axonal bassoon cluster development. Curr Biol. , 2021; 31(15):3330-3342.
8.Chen W*, Luo B*, Gao B, Li H, Wang H, Li L, Cui W, Zhang L, Sun D, Liu F, Dong Z, Ren X, Zhang H, Su H, Xiong WC, Mei L#. Neddylation stabilizes Nav1.1 to maintain interneuron excitability and prevent seizures in murine epilepsy models. J Clin Invest ., 2021; 131(8): e136956.
9.Wang Y*, Figueiredo D*, Sun X*, Dong Z, Chen W, Cui W, Liu F, Wang H, Li H, Robinson H, Fei E, Pan B, Li B, Xiong WC, Mei L#. Controlling of glutamate release by neuregulin3 via inhibiting the assembly of the SNARE complex. PNAS , 2018; 115:2508-2513.
10.Wang H*, Liu F*, Chen W, Sun X, Cui W, Dong Z, Zhao K, Zhang H, Li H, Xing G, Fei E, Pan BX, Li BM, Xiong WC, Mei L#. Genetic recovery of ErbB4 in adulthood partially restores brain functions in null mice. PNAS , 2018; 115:13105-13110.
Honors and Awards:
Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST) Young Talent Support Program, 2023
Doctoral excellence award in Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, 2021
Neuroscience Research Day (1st Prize), Cleveland Brain Health Initiative, 2019
Email：zqdong@ccmu.edu.cn
010-83911460 (office)
Address：No.10, Xitoutiao, You’anmenwai, Beijing
Research Area：Dr. Dong investigates the molecular mechanisms and neural circuit alterations associated with high-risk genes in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. Using systematic analyses of mouse models of autism and schizophrenia, his team examined the relationships between specific brain regions, cell types, synaptic functions, and behavioral phenotypes. Their goal is to uncover how these genes contribute to neurodevelopmental processes and disease progression.