Education & Training:
Bachelor of Medicine, Shanghai Medical College,Fudan University, 1996
Master of Medicine, Shanghai Medical College,Fudan University, 1999
Ph.D. of Biology, Giessen University, Germany, 2003
Postdoctoral Associate, Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Germany, 2004-2007

Research Interests:
1) roles of GPCR signaling in human diseases and GPCR-based drug screening
2) screening of small molecules and signal pathways involved in stem cell fate determination 

Research Description:
GPCR-mediated signal transduction is important for many biological functions of cells, as well as the pathogenesis of many human diseases. GPCRs are the main targets for drug discovery and more than 40% of the commercially available drugs are targeting GPCRs. Our researches mainly focus on neuron degeneration diseases such as Alzheimer’s diseases, Multiple Sclerosis and tumor genesis. By using mouse disease models and high throughput screening technology, we are trying to understand the key signaling pathways involved in disease development and find new candidate chemicals for disease therapy. 
Stem cells are promising therapeutic tools for degenerative disease and are so far the main focuses in regeneration medicine. Screening of small molecules for promoting somatic cell reprogramming (IPS), sustaining the pluripotency or directing specific differentiation of stem cells might lead to not only the identification of new candidate drugs for stem cell therapy, but also the understanding of the mechanisms determining stem cell fate. 

Key Word: GPCR, signal transduction, degeneration disease, Alzheimer’s disease, IPS, stem cell

Representative Publication (less than 20 papers)：

1. Wei X, Chen Y, Xu Y, Zhan Y, Zhang R, Wang M, Hua Q, Gu H, Nan F, Xie X. Small molecule compound induces chromatin de-condensation and facilitates induced pluripotent stem cell generation. J Mol Cell Biol. 2014 May 15. pii: mju024.[Epub ahead of print] 
2. Ye C, Zhang Z, Wang Z, Hua Q, Zhang R*, Xie X. Identification of a novel small-molecule agonist for human G protein-coupled receptor 3. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. (2014) ;349(3):437-43. ( *co-coresponding author)
3. Yongyu Xu, Xiaoyuan Wei, Min Wang, Ru Zhang*, Yanbin Fu, Mingzhe Xing, Qiuhong Hua, Xin Xie. Proliferation rate of somatic cells affects reprogramming efficiency. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. (2013), 288(14):9767-9778 ( *co-coresponding author)
4. Ru Zhang, Lihong Zhang, Xin Xie. iPSCs and small molecules: a reciprocal effort towards better approaches for drug discovery. Acta Pharmacalogica Sinica，(2013) 34(6):765-76
5. Ru Zhang, Guizhen Xue, Shaodeng Wang, Lihong Zhang, Changjie Shi, Xin Xie*. Novel Object Recognition as a Facile Behavior Test for Evaluating Drug Effects in A PP/PS1 Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model. Journal of alzheimer's disease, 31 (2012) 801–812
6. Xinxiu Xu, Quan Wang, Yuan Long, Ru Zhang, Xiaoyuan Wei, Mingzhe Xing, Haifeng Gu, Xin Xie . Stress-mediated p38 activation promotes somatic cell reprogramming. Cell Research (2012)
7. Ru Zhang, Xin Xie*. Tools for GPCR Drug Discovery. Acta Pharmacalogica Sinica，(2012) 33: 372-384
8. Quan Wang; Xinxiu Xu; Haifeng Gu; Ru Zhang; Jing Liu; Jiekai Chen; Duanqing Pei; Yin Kuang; Jian Fei; Cong Jiang; Ping Wang; xin xie., Lithium, an anti-Psychotic Drug, Greatly Enhances the Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Cell Research (2011) 21:1424–1435
9. Yin C, Zhang R, Xu Y, Chen Q, Xie X., Intact Mdm2 E3 Ligase Activity Is Required for the Cytosolic Localization and Function of β-Arrestin2. Mol Biol Cell. 2011 May，22（9）：1608-1616
10. Lie-Feng Wang , Ru Zhang and Xin Xie. Development of a High-throughput Assay for Screening of γ-secretase Inhibitor with Endogenous Human, Mouse or Drosophila γ-secretase. Molecules, 2009,14(9):3589-99.
11. Koch H*, Zhang R*, Verdoodt B, Bailey A, Zhang CD, Yates 3rd JR, Menssen A, and Hermeking H. Large-scale identification of c-MYC-associated proteins using a combined TAP/MudPIT approach. Cell Cycle 2007, 6(2): 205-217. ( *co-first author)
12. Torrano V, Navascues J, Docquier F, Zhang R, Burke LJ, Chernukhin I, Farrar D, Leon J, Berciano MT, Renkawitz R, Klenova E, Lafarga M, Delgado MD. Targeting of CTCF to the nucleolus inhibits nucleolar transcription through a poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation-dependent mechanism. J Cell Sci. 2006, 119(Pt 9):1746-59. 
13. Burke LJ*, Zhang R*, Bartkuhn M, Tiwari VK, Tavoosidana G, Kurukuti S, Weth C, Leers J, Galjart N, Ohlsson R, Renkawitz R. CTCF binding and higher order chromatin structure of the H19 locus are maintained in mitotic chromatin. EMBO J. 2005, 24(18):3291-300. ( *co-first author)
14. Zhang R, Burke LJ, Rasko J, Lobanenkov V, Renkawitz R. Dynamic association of the mammalian insulator protein CTCF with centrosomes and the midbody. Exp. Cell Res. 2004, 10;294(1):86-93. 
15. Brackertz M, Boeke J, Zhang R, Renkawitz R. Two highly related p66 proteins comprise a new family of potent transcriptional repressors interacting with MBD2 and MBD3. J Biol Chem. 2002, 277(43):40958-66. 
16. Burke LJ, Zhang R, Lutz M, Renkawitz R. The thyroid hormone receptor and the insulator protein CTCF: two different factors with overlapping functions. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2002, 83(1-5):49-57. 
17. Schulz M, Zhang R, Eggert H, Boeke J, Neeck G, Eggert M, Renkawitz R. Distinct proteins interacting with the glucocorticoid receptor. Z Rheumatol. 2000, 59 Suppl 2:II/6-11. 
18. Jing Q, Xin SM, Cheng ZJ, Zhang WB, Zhang R, Qin YW, Pei G. Activation of p38 MAPK by Oxidized LDL in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: Mediation via Pertussis Toxin-sensitive G Proteins and Association with Oxidized LDL-induced Cytotoxicity. Circulation Research, 1999, 84(7): 831-839. 
19. Zhang R, Wang GL, Zhang PL, Xiong Y, Zhang WB, Wang XP, Yin DL, Jing Q. Suppression of angiotensin II-stimulated responses in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells of experimental cirrhotic rats. Cell Research, 1999, 9(2) 155-61. 

Positions: 
Positions for master degree、doctoral degree or postdoctoral research are available if you think:
1) you are hard-working student with great curiosity and big ambition;
2) you are interested in signal transduction and stem cell research.