Self-introduction: 

Dr. Li Zhang obtained her Ph.D degree at National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing and Peking Union Medical College, studying how pathogens manipulated host signaling pathways. She then moved to New York in 2015 to study Mycobacterium tuberculosis, focusing mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced macrophage death. She found type I interferon signaling played an important role and its blockade augmented the effect of a TB drug in Mtb-infected mice. After joining SUSTech in 2022, she seeks to understand the detailed interaction between Mycobacterium tuberculosis for a better understanding of Tuberculosis and better therapies.

She is also interested in how tissue-specific type I interferon signaling contributed to disease progression in Tuberculosis.

Research Interests：

◆Interaction between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and host

◆Mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced macrophage death

◆Role of type I interferon in Tuberculosis

◆Host-directed therapy against Tuberculosis

Professional Experience：

◆07/2013-04/2015, Postdoctoral associate, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China

◆04/2015-02/2021, Postdoctoral associate, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, USA

◆03/2021-12/2021, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, USA

◆02/2022-, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, China

Educational Background：

◆09/2004-06/2008, B.S., Biological Sciences, Sichuan University, China

◆09/2008-07/2013, Ph.D., Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing / Peking Union Medical College, China

Honors & Awards：

◆Cancer Research Institute/Robertson Foundation Fellow, 2017, Cancer Research Institute

◆Young Scientist Award, 2014, the 4th Asia Pacific Protein Association Conference

◆Excellent Graduate Student, 2013 and 2012, Peking Union Medical College

◆Ray Wu Prize, 2012, the Ray Wu Memorial Fund

◆Excellent Graduate Student, 2011, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing

◆Comprehensive Scholarship, 2007, Sichuan University

◆Huang Qianheng Scholarship, 2006, Sichuan University

◆National Scholarship, 2005, Sichuan University

Selected Publication：

◆Zhang L, Jiang X, Pfau D, Ling Y, Nathan CF. (2021) Type I Interferon Signaling Mediates Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Induced Macrophage Death. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 218(2): e20200887. DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200887.

◆Yao Q *, Zhang L *, Wan X, Chen J, Hu L, Ding X, Li L, Karar J, Peng H, Chen S, Huang N, Rauscher FJ, Shao F. (2014) Structure and specificity of the bacterial cysteine methyltransferase effector NleE suggests a novel substrate in human DNA repair pathway. PLoS Pathogens, 10(11): e1004522. (* Equal contribution)

◆Li S *, Zhang L *, Yao Q, Li L, Dong N, Rong J, Gao W, Ding X, Sun L, Chen X, Chen S, Shao F. (2013) Pathogen blocks host death receptor signalling by arginine GlcNAcylation of death domains. Nature, 501, 242-246. (* Equal contribution)

◆Zhang L, Ding X, Cui J, Xu H, Chen J, Gong YN, Hu L, Zhou Y, Ge J, Lu Q, Liu L, Chen S, Shao F. (2012) Cysteine methylation disrupts ubiquitin-chain sensing in NF-κB activation. Nature, 481,204-208.

◆Bryk R, Mundhra S, Jiang X, Wood M, Pfau D, Weber E, Park S, Zhang L, Wilson C, Van der Westhuyzen R, Street L, Chibale K, Zimmerman M, Dartois V, Pastore N, Ballabio A, Hawryluk N, Canan S, Khetani V, Camardo J, Nathan C. (2020) Potentiation of rifampin activity in a mouse model of tuberculosis by activation of host transcription factor EB.  PLOS Pathogens,16(6): e1008567.

◆Litvak Y, Sharon S, Hyams M, Zhang L, Kobi S, Katsowich N, Dishon S, Nussbaum G, Dong N, Shao F, Rosenshine I. (2017) Epithelial cells detect functional type III secretion system of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli through a novel NF-κB signaling pathway. PLOS Pathogens, 13(7): e1006472.

◆Xu H, Yang J, Gao W, Li L, Li P, Zhang L, Gong YN, Peng X, Xi J, Chen S, Wang F, Shao F. (2014) Innate immune sensing of bacterial modifications of Rho GTPases by the Pyrin inflammasome. Nature, 513(7517), 237-241.

◆Zhao Y, Zhao S, Mao T, Qu X, Cao W, Zhang L, Zhang W, He L, Li S, Ren S, Zhao J, Zhu G, Huang S, Ye K, Yuan M, Guo Y. (2011) The Plant-Specific Actin Binding Protein SCAB1 Stabilizes Actin Filaments and Regulates Stomatal Movement in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell, 23, 2314–2330