Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia Harvard Medical School

Investigator, Asst Prof (M) Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Mass General Research Institute

Ph.D Shanghai Tongji University 2018

alzheimer disease; anesthesia; brain aging; brain development; gut microbiome; mitochondria; neurodegenerative disease; neutrophilic inflammation

Research Areas

• Understanding the Mechanisms of Perioperative Effects on Brain Function.

• Exploring the Relationship between the Gut Microbiome and Brain Function.

• Investigating the Impact of the Gut Microbiome on Aging and Anti-Aging Processes.

Description of Research

Since 2009, Dr. Zhang's research revolves around various aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathogenesis, perioperative effects on neurotoxicity, postoperative neurocognitive disorder, and postoperative delirium. Specifically, Dr. Zhang has conducted extensive studies on the impact of anesthetics on mitochondrial function both in vitro and in vivo. Dr. Zhang has investigated the potential correlation between neuroinflammation and mitochondrial function subsequent to anesthesia and surgery.

Dr. Zhang has made significant contributions to the investigation of the gut microbiome, neuroinflammation, and mitochondria in the development of postoperative delirium. Their research has provided evidence of age-dependent specific gut microbiome profiles (microbiome dysbiosis), age-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction, and age-dependent postoperative delirium. In a groundbreaking study, Dr. Zhang and their colleagues explored a novel association between gut microbiota and postoperative delirium. They assessed the gut microbiota and employed a new method called Dimension-reduction Algorithm in Small Human-datasets (DASH) to analyze the relationship between gut microbiota and postoperative delirium. The findings of this study have recently been published in Translational Psychiatry and have garnered attention from prominent news reports and websites.

Zhang's team has been committed to improving the quality of health in individuals by focusing on precise detection and analysis platforms to provide personalized probiotic formulations. Their dedication lies in targeting the modulation of the gut microbiota, thereby enhancing postoperative cognitive function recovery and interventions for postoperative rehabilitation in patients.