Dr. Beiyan Zhou is a professor of immunology whose interests are in obesity-induced health risks, including and cardiovascular diseases. She holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry/molecular biology from Northwestern University, Master of Science in molecular biology from Peking University, and a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Wuhan University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cell and molecular biology at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

Contact: bzhou@uchc.edu

Education

Degree	Institution	Major
MSc	College of Life Sciences, Peking University	Protein Chemistry and Genetic Engineering
PhD	Northwestern University	Biological Sciences

Post-Graduate Training

Training	Institution	Specialty
Postdoctoral	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Postdoctoral Fellow, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Awards

Name of Award/Honor	Awarding Organization
CASE Member	The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
FAHA	American Heart Association
Women of Innovation 2020 (Research Innovation and Leadership category)	Connecticut Technology Council and Connecticut Center for Advanced Technolo
Junior Faculty Award	American Diabetes Association
Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award	College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University
Genzyme Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research	Genzyme
Travel award, NIH/NIDDK Workshop on microRNA in cellular development and hematopoiesis, Annapolis, Md.	NIH/NIDDK
Travel Award	American Endocrine Society
Research Travel Award, the Graduate School and the Office of the Vice President Grant	Northwestern University
Research Travel Award, the Graduate School and Office of the Vice President Grant	Northwestern University

Click the link above (Zhou Lab) for more information and meet our members!

(Immunology and computational immunology)  

Immune cells are often presented with diversified origins/residences and execute multifaceted functions ever-adapting to microenvironmental cues.  It is the essence of Immunology to capture and harness the actions of immune cells in complex tissue and stress settings is the essence of immunology.  My research program focuses on understanding the regulatory mechanisms of immune cells in obesity-induced type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). We have identified several critical regulators in controlling immune lineage determination, cancerous transformation, and their interaction with host tissue cells under chronic stress conditions. Work from my lab has contributed to the first discovery of miR-150 as a potent regulator for hematopoietic stem cell-derived B-cell formation and function under normal, obese, and cancerous transformation conditions (PNAS, 2007; Mol Cancer Res, 2013;  Sci Report, 2016); and miR-223 as a potent regulator of macrophage polarization (Circulation, 2012; J.C.I. 2015).

Our group recently developed new bioinformatics programs that incorporated single-cell transcriptome technology to allow in-depth fine-mapping monocyte/macrophage function under various diseases conditions (J.C.I. Insight, 2019; Mol Cell, 2019, Cell Metabolism, 2022) and immune cell-function guided predictive tools for immunotherapy (J.E.M., 2021). Notedly, the application of these novel algorithms revealed a hitherto unknown pathogenic foaming program directly associated with the incidence of ASCVD, which enabled the development of a high-performance, proof-of-concept CVD risk prediction model (Circulation, 2022). To address the unique challenges in large bio-data analyses, we developed additional computational tools empowered by machine learning algorithms and tailored to biological big data mining (invention, patent pending). While compelling evidence has indicated the crucial roles played by epigenetic regulators in both normal developmental control and pathogenesis of diseases, our understanding of the full picture is still in its infancy. 

 

Accepting Lab Rotation Students: Spring 1 and 2 Block 2025

We are accepting highly motivated rotation students in the area of immunology/cardiovascular/metabolism/obesity.  Our research projects incorporate epigenetic and genomic approaches to understand the crosswalks between the immune compartment and host tissue cells under chronic stress conditions, such as obesity. 

Journal Articles

Book Chapters

Editorials

Reviews

Title or Abstract	Type	Sponsor/Event	Date/Year	Location
Capture Macorphage Actions in Diseases Using Novel Single-Cell Transcriptomics-based algorithms	Other	the New England Immunology Conference 2022	2022	Woodshole, MA
Multifaceted Macrophage Actions in Diseases	Talk	SCBA Society/ 18th SCBA International Symposium	2022	Boston, MA
AtheroSpectrum identified novel foaming programs and monocyte predictor genes for residual cardiovascular risk	Talk	American Heart Association/Scientific Sessions 2020	2020	Virtual Conference
2020 Multifaceted Macrophage in human diseases, Department of Integrative Biology & Pharmacology	Lecture	University of Texas Health Science Center	2020	Virtual Conference
Low disturbed flow induces dynamic immune compartment in atherogenesis revealed by scRNA-seq	Poster	American Heart Association/Scientific Sessions 2020	2020	Virtual Conference
Cytosolic LPS sensing triggers the release of a lectin DAMP that promotes inflammation	Poster	American Association of Immunologists/Immunology2020	2020	Virtual Conference
Macspectrum Yields Unprecedented Resolution of Full-Spectrum Macrophage Activation States in Atherosclerosis	Poster	From Genes to Medicine 2019 Scientific Sessions /AHA	2019	Boston, MA
Induction of TLR2 tolerance Suppresses Foam Cell Formation. Lili Qu, Chuan Li, Danielle Peters, Nicholas Wasko, Anthony T. Vella, Annabelle Rodriguez-Oquendo, Patrick Murphy, Robert B. Clark, Beiyan Zhou	Poster	Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine 2019 Scientific Sessions/AHA	2019	Boston, MA
Single Cell transcriptome analysis identifies unique features in Circulating CD8 T cells that can predict immunotherapy response in melanoma patients	Poster	Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer /STIC 2019	2019	National Harbor, Maryland, US
MacSpectrum reveals macrophage dynamics in diseases	Talk	School of Pharmacy, University of Texas Health Center at San Antonino,	2019	San Antonino, Texas, USA
Macspectrum Yields Unprecedented Resolution of Full-Spectrum Macrophage Activation States in Atherosclerosis	Poster	American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2019	2019	Philadelphia, PA, USA
Non-coding RNA regulated macrophage function in obesity. Exercise Physiological Seminar	Talk	Department of Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University	2015	Texas A&M University
microRNA and adipose tissue inflammation. EB 2015 APS President’s Symposium Series, Boston, MA, March 2015	Talk	Experimental Biology 2015 / American Physiological Society	2015	Boston, MA
Immune cell function in obese adipose tissues	Talk	Gateway to Nitrigenomics (NGN) Retreat	2015	Lincoln, Nebraska
Non-coding RNA regulated immune cell function in obesity	Talk	Nutrition Obesity Research Mini-Symposium, Texas A&M University	2014	Texas A&M University
Uteroferrin enhances fetal erythropoiesis at terminal stages	Talk	SSR - Society for the Study of Reproduction	2014	Michigan, USA
Macrophage polarization and insulin resistance	Talk	19th Annual Dr. Raymond O Berry Mem. Lecture and 7th Annual IFRB Retreat	2013
Macrophage management of microRNAs in hematopoiesis and diseases, Immunology Consortium, Texas A&M University, May 2013	Talk	Immunology Consortium, Texas A&M University	2013	Texas A&M University
A novel paradigm of microRNA regulated B cell functions on insulin resistance: miR-150 regulates insulin sensitivity through controlling antibody production	Talk	American Diabetes Association Conference	2013	Chicago, IL
MicroRNA Regulated Lymphocyte Function in Insulin Resistance	Talk	The 5th Scientific Meeting of Chinese American Diabetes Association (CADA)	2013	Chicago, IL
Macromanagement of microRNAs in macrophages	Talk	The Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI)	2013