Cheng Zhu, PhD, MS

Research Program

Cell and Molecular Biology
Phone Number

404-894-3269
Email Address

czhu@emory.edu

Biography

Cheng Zhu, PhD, MS, is the J. Erskine Love Jr. Endowed Chair in Engineering Regents' Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech School of Engineering and Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Zhu is a member of the Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.

Education

Dr. Zhu received his PhD and his MS from Columbia University in New York, New York.

Titles & Roles

J. Erskine Love Jr. Endowed Chair in Engineering Regents' Professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University

Research

The goal of Dr. Zhu's research is to gain a fundamental understanding of important biological processes at the level of cells and molecules, and their relations to human health and diseases. Current research projects in the Zhu lab focus on the adhesion and signaling molecules in the immune system and the vascular system. The experiments utilize state-of-the-art technologies, including micropipette manipulation, atomic force microscopy, biomembrane force probe, and real-time laser scanning confocal microscopy.

Publications

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Catch Bonds in Immunology. Annual review of immunology	HK Choi, C Zhu	04/01/2025
Mechanotransduction governs CD40 function and underlies X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome. Science advances	HK Choi, S Travaglino, M Münchhalfen, R Görg, Z Zhong, J Lyu, DM Reyes-Aguilar, J Wienands, A Singh, C Zhu	11/15/2024
Mechanical force regulates ligand binding and function of PD-1. Nature communications	K Li, P Cardenas-Lizana, J Lyu, AV Kellner, M Li, P Cong, VE Watson, Z Yuan, E Ahn, L Doudy, Z Li, K Salaita, R Ahmed, C Zhu	09/27/2024
Heritable CRISPR Mutagenesis of Essential Maternal Effect Genes as a Simple Tool for Sustained Population Suppression of Invasive Species in a Zebrafish Model. Zebrafish	CJ Krueger, Z Dai, C Zhu, B Zhang	08/01/2024
Light-field flow cytometry for high-resolution, volumetric and multiparametric 3D single-cell analysis. Nature communications	X Hua, K Han, B Mandracchia, A Radmand, W Liu, H Kim, Z Yuan, SM Ehrlich, K Li, C Zheng, J Son, AD Silva Trenkle, GA Kwong, C Zhu, JE Dahlman, S Jia	03/04/2024
Clinical features, functional consequences, and rescue pharmacology of missense GRID1 and GRID2 human variants. Human molecular genetics	JP Allen, KB Garber, R Perszyk, CT Khayat, SA Kell, M Kaneko, C Quindipan, S Saitta, RL Ladda, S Hewson, M Inbar-Feigenberg, C Prasad, AN Prasad, L Olewiler, W Mu, LS Rosenthal, M Scala, P Striano, F Zara, TW McCullock, RT Jauss, JR Lemke, DM MacLean, C Zhu, H Yuan, SJ Myers, SF Traynelis	02/01/2024
Force-Regulated Spontaneous Conformational Changes of Integrins α₅β₁ and α_Vβ₃. ACS nano	Y Chen, Z Li, F Kong, LA Ju, C Zhu	01/09/2024
Structure, function, and immunomodulation of the CD8 co-receptor. Frontiers in immunology	S Srinivasan, C Zhu, AC McShan	01/01/2024
ICAM-1 mediated cell-cell adhesion exerts dual roles on human B cell differentiation and IgG production. iScience	S Liu, ZC Liu, MY Zhang, SJ Wang, M Pan, P Ji, C Zhu, P Lin, Y Wang	12/15/2023
Mechanical force regulates ligand binding and function of PD-1. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology	K Li, P Cardenas-Lizana, AV Kellner, Z Yuan, E Ahn, J Lyu, Z Li, K Salaita, R Ahmed, C Zhu	08/15/2023
Catch bond models may explain how force amplifies TCR signaling and antigen discrimination. Nature communications	HK Choi, P Cong, C Ge, A Natarajan, B Liu, Y Zhang, K Li, MN Rushdi, W Chen, J Lou, M Krogsgaard, C Zhu	05/05/2023
The βI domain promotes active β1 integrin clustering into mature adhesion sites. Life science alliance	G Mana, D Valdembri, JA Askari, Z Li, P Caswell, C Zhu, MJ Humphries, C Ballestrem, G Serini	02/01/2023
Cooperative binding of T cell receptor and CD4 to peptide-MHC enhances antigen sensitivity. Nature communications	MN Rushdi, V Pan, K Li, HK Choi, S Travaglino, J Hong, F Griffitts, P Agnihotri, RA Mariuzza, Y Ke, C Zhu	11/17/2022
Signaling mechanisms of the platelet glycoprotein Ib-IX complex. Platelets	Y Zhang, SM Ehrlich, C Zhu, X Du	08/18/2022
Immune-mediated alopecias and their mechanobiological aspects. Cells & development	VE Watson, ML Faniel, NA Kamili, LD Krueger, C Zhu	06/01/2022
Neuromechanobiology: An Expanding Field Driven by the Force of Greater Focus. Advanced healthcare materials	CT Motz, V Kabat, T Saxena, RV Bellamkonda, C Zhu	10/01/2021
Distinct roles of ICOS and CD40L in human T-B cell adhesion and antibody production. Cellular immunology	Z Liu, S Liu, Y Zhang, W Zeng, S Wang, P Ji, M Pan, C Zhu, Y Wang	10/01/2021
The kinetics of E-selectin- and P-selectin-induced intermediate activation of integrin αLβ2 on neutrophils. Journal of cell science	F Zhou, F Zhang, VI Zarnitsyna, L Doudy, Z Yuan, K Li, RP McEver, H Lu, C Zhu	09/15/2021
Inhibitory affinity modulation of FcγRIIA ligand binding by glycosphingolipids by inside-out signaling. Cell reports	K Okubo, MD Brenner, X Cullere, G Saggu, ML Patchen, N Bose, S Mihori, Z Yuan, CA Lowell, C Zhu, TN Mayadas	05/18/2021
PD-1 suppresses TCR-CD8 cooperativity during T-cell antigen recognition. Nature communications	K Li, Z Yuan, J Lyu, E Ahn, SJ Davis, R Ahmed, C Zhu	05/12/2021
Mechanochemical coupling of formin-induced actin interaction at the level of single molecular complex. Biomechanics and modeling in mechanobiology	Z Li, H Lee, SG Eskin, S Ono, C Zhu, LV McIntire	10/01/2020
Mechanotransduction in T Cell Development, Differentiation and Function. Cells	M Rushdi, K Li, Z Yuan, S Travaglino, A Grakoui, C Zhu	02/05/2020
Dynamic bonds and their roles in mechanosensing. Current opinion in chemical biology	C Zhu, Y Chen, LA Ju	12/01/2019
Author Correction: Mechanosensing through immunoreceptors. Nature immunology	C Zhu, W Chen, J Lou, W Rittase, K Li	12/01/2019
Mechanosensing through immunoreceptors. Nature immunology	C Zhu, W Chen, J Lou, W Rittase, K Li	10/01/2019
Domain-specific mechanical modulation of VWF-ADAMTS13 interaction. Molecular biology of the cell	Z Li, J Lin, T Sulchek, MA Cruz, J Wu, JF Dong, C Zhu	07/22/2019
An integrin α_IIbβ₃ intermediate affinity state mediates biomechanical platelet aggregation. Nature materials	Y Chen, LA Ju, F Zhou, J Liao, L Xue, QP Su, D Jin, Y Yuan, H Lu, SP Jackson, C Zhu	07/01/2019
Biophysical basis underlying dynamic Lck activation visualized by ZapLck FRET biosensor. Science advances	R Wan, J Wu, M Ouyang, L Lei, J Wei, Q Peng, R Harrison, Y Wu, B Cheng, K Li, C Zhu, L Tang, Y Wang, S Lu	06/01/2019
Mechano-regulation of Peptide-MHC Class I Conformations Determines TCR Antigen Recognition. Molecular cell	P Wu, T Zhang, B Liu, P Fei, L Cui, R Qin, H Zhu, D Yao, RJ Martinez, W Hu, C An, Y Zhang, J Liu, J Shi, J Fan, W Yin, J Sun, C Zhou, X Zeng, C Xu, J Wang, BD Evavold, C Zhu, W Chen, J Lou	03/07/2019
Force-history dependence and cyclic mechanical reinforcement of actin filaments at the single molecular level. Journal of cell science	H Lee, SG Eskin, S Ono, C Zhu, LV McIntire	02/04/2019
A TCR mechanotransduction signaling loop induces negative selection in the thymus. Nature immunology	J Hong, C Ge, P Jothikumar, Z Yuan, B Liu, K Bai, K Li, W Rittase, M Shinzawa, Y Zhang, A Palin, P Love, X Yu, K Salaita, BD Evavold, A Singer, C Zhu	12/01/2018
Cis interaction between sialylated FcγRIIA and the αI-domain of Mac-1 limits antibody-mediated neutrophil recruitment. Nature communications	G Saggu, K Okubo, Y Chen, R Vattepu, N Tsuboi, F Rosetti, X Cullere, N Washburn, S Tahir, AM Rosado, SM Holland, RM Anthony, M Sen, C Zhu, TN Mayadas	11/29/2018
Apolipoprotein A-IV binds αIIbβ3 integrin and inhibits thrombosis. Nature communications	XR Xu, Y Wang, R Adili, L Ju, CM Spring, JW Jin, H Yang, MAD Neves, P Chen, Y Yang, X Lei, Y Chen, RC Gallant, M Xu, H Zhang, J Song, P Ke, D Zhang, N Carrim, SY Yu, G Zhu, YM She, T Cyr, W Fu, G Liu, PW Connelly, ML Rand, K Adeli, J Freedman, JE Lee, P Tso, P Marchese, WS Davidson, SP Jackson, C Zhu, ZM Ruggeri, H Ni	09/06/2018
Shear-induced integrin signaling in platelet phosphatidylserine exposure, microvesicle release, and coagulation. Blood	A Pang, Y Cui, Y Chen, N Cheng, MK Delaney, M Gu, A Stojanovic-Terpo, C Zhu, X Du	08/02/2018