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  8. Zhen He
  1. Science & Research (NCTR)

Zhen He M.D., Ph.D.

Research Biologist — Division of Neurotoxicology

Dr. Zhen He
Zhen He, M.D., Ph.D.
(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov  

Back to NCTR Principal Investigators page

About  |  Publications 

Background

Dr. Zhen He graduated from Wuhan University Medical School, China in 1982. He then earned an M.S. in human anatomy at the same university in 1985. Dr. He went on to work as a clinic physician in neurology in First Hospital affiliated with Wuhan University Medical School, Wuhan, Hubei province, China until 1991 when he was granted “The Visiting Scholar Training Grant of Chinese Government.” Dr. He subsequently attended Kyushu University, Faculty of Medicine, Japan and earned a Ph.D. in stroke research in 1997. He received postdoctoral training at the Department of Pharmacodynamics and Department of Neurosurgery in University of Florida. Dr. He then worked as laboratory manager in the Neurosurgical Department of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School from 2002-2003. Between 2003 and 2007 he served as a senior research fellow in the Neuroscience Department, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville before being converted to an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic in 2007. In 2008 he accepted the position of staff fellow/neuroanatomist, Division of Neurotoxicology at NCTR.
 

Research Interests

Dr. He’s research interests include stroke, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, aging, and stem-cell research. He began his career investigating the neurotoxicology of sex-hormone disrupter exposure in laboratory animals in 2008. He has recently focused on stem-cell activities in the 3rd ventricle stem-cell niche and in the surrounding areas where sexually dimorphic nuclei are located. Dr. He is an expert in rodent neurosurgery. He is a pioneer in establishing the endovascular occlusion models of anterior choroidal artery occlusion and hypothalamic artery occlusion in rats. He is also pioneering research establishing a rat 8-vessel-occlusion model by which partial-to-total ischemic damage in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus is elicited. Dr. He successfully applied this global ischemic model in aged rats and defined age-related changes in preconditioning, death-processing mechanisms and microvascular phosphodiesterase 4D expression compared to young adult animals.
 

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

American Heart Association
Premium Member, Council in Stroke
2005 – 2015 

Society for Neuroscience
Member
1999 – Present
 

Selected Publications

Selective Effects of Perinatal Estrogen on Proliferation and New Neurons in Hippocampus and Piriform Cortex of Rats at Weaning.
He Z.
Neurotoxicology. 2022, 91:254-261. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.05.012. Epub 2022 May 23. PMID: 35618077.

Pericytes Within a Pulmonary Neurovascular Unit in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Elicited Pathological Changes.
He Z.
Curr Neurovasc Res. 2020, 17(5):784-792. doi: 10.2174/1567202617666201222112639. PMID: 33355054.

A Potential Role for the Existence of Pericytes in the Neurovascular Unit of the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the Rat Preoptic Area to Control Blood-Brain Barrier Function.
He Z. and Patterson TA.
Curr Neurovasc Res. 2019;16(3):194-201. doi: 10.2174/1567202616666190627120135. PMID: 31244439.

A Working Module for the Neurovascular Unit in the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the Preoptic Area.
He Z., Cui L., Ferguson S.A., and Paule M.G.
Mol Neurobiol. 2018, 55(1):156-163. doi: 10.1007/s12035-017-0729-6. PMID: 28840477.

Changes in the Metabolome and microRNA Levels in Biological Fluids Might Represent Biomarkers of Neurotoxicity: A Trimethyltin Study.
Imam S.Z., He Z., Cuevas E., Rosas-Hernandez H., Lantz S.M., Sarkar S., Raymick J., Robinson B., Hanig J.P., Herr D., MacMillan D., Smith A., Liachenko S., Ferguson S., O'Callaghan J., Miller D., Somps C., Pardo I.D., Slikker W. Jr., B Pierson J., Roberts R., Gong B., Tong W., Aschner M., Kallman M.J., Calligaro D., and Paule M.G.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2018, 243(3):228-236. doi: 10.1177/1535370217739859. Epub 2017 Nov 6. PMID: 29105512; PMCID: PMC5813866.

Estrogen Selectively Mobilizes Neural Stem Cells in the Third Ventricle Stem Cell Niche of Postnatal Day 21 Rats.
He Z., Cui L., Paule M.G., and Ferguson S.A.
Mol Neurobiol. 2015, 52(2):927-33. doi: 10.1007/s12035-015-9244-9. PMID: 26041664.

Pre- and Postnatal Bisphenol A Treatment Does Not Alter the Number of Tyrosine Hydroxylase-Positive Cells in the Anteroventral Periventricular Nucleus (AVPV) of Weanling Male and Female Rats.
Ferguson S.A., Paule M.G., and He Z.
Brain Res. 2015, 1624:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.07.013. Epub 2015 Jul 20. PMID: 26206302.

Development of the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the Preoptic Area and the Influence of Estrogen-Like Compounds.
He Z., Ferguson S.A., Cui L., Greenfield L.J., and Paule M.G.
Neural Regen Res. 2013, 8(29):2763-74. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.29.008. PMID: 25206587; PMCID: PMC4145994.

Low Oral Doses of Bisphenol A Increase Volume of the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the Preoptic Area in Male, but Not Female, Rats at Postnatal Day 21.
He Z., Paule M.G., and Ferguson S.A.
Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2012, 34(3):331-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ntt.2012.03.004. Epub 2012 Apr 4. PMID: 22507915.

Defining the Phosphodiesterase Superfamily Members in Rat Brain Microvessels.
He Z., Cui L., Patterson T.A., and Paule M.G.
ACS Chem Neurosci. 2011, 2(10):600-7. doi: 10.1021/cn2000487. Epub 2011 Jun 27. PMID: 22860158; PMCID: PMC3369711.

Fluorogold Induces Persistent Neurological Deficits and Circling Behavior in Mice Over-Expressing Human Mutant Tau.
He Z.
Curr Neurovasc Res. 2009, 6(1):54-61. doi: 10.2174/156720209787466055. PMID: 19355926.

In Vivo Silencing of Alpha-Synuclein Using Naked siRNA.
Lewis J., Melrose H., Bumcrot D., Hope A., Zehr C., Lincoln S., Braithwaite A., He Z., Ogholikhan S., Hinkle K., Kent C., Toudjarska I., Charisse K., Braich R., Pandey R.K., Heckman M., Maraganore D.M., Crook J., and Farrer M.J.
Mol Neurodegener. 2008, 3:19. doi: 10.1186/1750-1326-3-19. PMID: 18976489; PMCID: PMC2612658.

Aging Blunts Ischemic-Preconditioning-Induced Neuroprotection Following Transient Global Ischemia in Rats.
He Z., Crook J.E., Meschia J.F., Brott T.G., Dickson D.W., and McKinney M.
Curr Neurovasc Res. 2005, 2(5):365-74. doi: 10.2174/156720205774962674. PMID: 16375718.

Hippocampal Progenitor Cells Express Nestin Following Cerebral Ischemia in Rats.
He Z., Cui L., Meschia J.F., Dickson D.W., Brott T.G., Simpkins J.W., Day A.L., and McKinney M.
Neuroreport. 2005, 16(14):1541-4. doi: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000179074.32035.46. PMID: 16148741.

Aging is Neuroprotective During Global Ischemia but Leads to Increased Caspase-3 and Apoptotic Activity in Hippocampal Neurons.
He Z., Meschia J.F., Brott T.G., Dickson D.W., and McKinney M.
Curr Neurovasc Res. 2006, 3(3):181-6. doi: 10.2174/156720206778018802. PMID: 16918382.

Increased Severity of Acute Cerebral Ischemic Injury Correlates with Enhanced Stem Cell Induction as Well as with Predictive Behavioral Profiling.
He Z., Cui L., Wu S.S., Li X.Y., Simpkins J.W., McKinney M., and Day A.L.
Curr Neurovasc Res. 2004, 1(5):399-409. doi: 10.2174/1567202043361893. PMID: 16181088.

Proestrus Levels of Estradiol During Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia Improves the Histological Outcome of the Hippocampal CA1 Region: Perfusion-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms.
He Z., He Y.J., Day A.L., and Simpkins J.W.
J Neurol Sci. 2002, 193(2):79-87. doi: 10.1016/s0022-510x(01)00648-7. PMID: 11790387.

Definition of the Anterior Choroidal Artery Territory in Rats Using Intraluminal Occluding Technique.
He Z., Yang S.H., Naritomi H., Yamawaki T., Liu Q., King M.A., Day A.L., and Simpkins J.W.
J Neurol Sci. 2000, 182(1):16-28. doi: 10.1016/s0022-510x(00)00434-2. PMID: 11102635.

Experimental Model of Small Deep Infarcts Involving the Hypothalamus in Rats: Changes in Body Temperature and Postural Reflex.
He Z., Yamawaki T., Yang S., Day A.L., Simpkins J.W., and Naritomi H.
Stroke. 1999, 30(12):2743-51; discussion 2751. doi: 10.1161/01.str.30.12.2743. PMID: 10583006.

L-Arginine Ameliorates Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism and Decreases Infarct Volume in Rats with Cerebral Ischemia.
He Z., Ibayashi S., Nagao T., Fujii K., Sadoshima S., and Fujishima M.
Brain Res. 1995 Nov 20;699(2):208-13. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(95)00907-8. PMID: 8616623.

Contact Information
Zhen He
(870) 543-7121
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