Zhu Lab:Lab Members

Lixin ZHU Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Director, Research Laboratory, Digestive Disease and Nutrition Center, Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York at Buffalo,

PI, Genome, Environment and Microbiome Community of Excellence, State University of New York at Buffalo,

Adjunct professor, Director, Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

3435 Main Street, 422 BRB, Buffalo, NY14214

(716) 829-2191 (Office), (716) 829-2192 (Lab), (716) 829-3585 (Fax)

[lixinzhu@buffalo.edu] Faculty web page Lab web page

He is responsible for the overall administration and direction of all the research projects.

After graduation from Nankai University, a top research university in China, he was accepted into the graduate program in Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.With his mentors, Professors Guang-Di Li and Yuan Wang, he studied the molecular virology of hepatitis C and developed attenuated live-viral vaccines against hepatitis C, using the modified vaccinia virus Ankara stain as the vector. In this collaborative work, he, Professor Wang’s group and Dr. Gerd Sutter’s group (then in the Institute for Molecular Virology, GSF, Munich, Germany) demonstrated that the invented vaccines are able to elicit protective humoral and cellular immune responses targeting hepatitis C antigens in a murine model.

His postdoc research was all about gastric parietal cell. His major work was focused on a phosphoprotein called ezrin. This protein is discovered in parietal cell and other cells almost simultaneously. Using FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) technique, he studied ezrin conformation in a relatively native state. With his mentor Dr. John G. Forte (University of California, Berkeley), he demonstrated how ezrin phosphorylation regulates the conformation and activity of this protein and the effects on parietal cell acid secretion. His discovery that ezrin phosphorylation is underwent fast turnover may shed light on similar phosphorylation events in different model systems. Besides this, he also participated in the studies of parietal cell membrane trafficking, in collaboration with Dr. Serhan Karvar (University of Southern California).

His current research interests are expanded from gastric parietal cell into the whole GI tract. Together with the dedicated M.D. researchers (Dr. R. Baker, Dr. S. Baker, Dr. Razan Alkhouri, Dr. Diana Moya and Dr Colleen Nugent) in the DDNC to better understand the pathophysiology of these diseases for better diagnosis and treatments.

Education

1995,9-2001,8 Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Ph. D. obtained in August 2001.

Mentor: Prof. Guangdi Li

Projects: Molecular biology of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Development of an evaluation system for HCV vaccine. Development of a live viral vaccine against HCV.

1991,9-1995,7 Department of biochemistry and molecular biology, Nankai University, China

bachelor’s degree of science, June, 1995. Graduated with honor.

Mentor: Professor Shufang Wang

Project: Effect of agrobacterium tumefacients elicitors on the accumulation of indole alkaloids in catharanthus roseus calli

Working experience

2016,1-present PI, Genome, Environment and Microbiome Community of Excellence, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

2014,9-present Adjunct professor, Director, Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

2009,2-present Assistant professor, Director of GI Laboratory, Digestive Disease and Nutrition Center, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

2003,7-2009,1 Postdoctoral fellow, Department of molecular and cell biology, University of California, Berkeley.

Mentor: Prof. John G. Forte

Projects: Ezrin function in gastric parietal cells, renal proximal tubule cells and small intestine enterocytes: phosphorylation regulation on ezrin conformation and activity. SNARE proteins in gastric parietal cells.

2002,8-2003,7 Postdoctoral fellow, Department of molecular and cell biology, University of California, Berkeley.

Mentor: Prof. Hsiao-Ping Moore

Project: The constitutive-like secretory pathway of protein secretion from immature secretory granule in pituitary cells.

2001,8-2002,8 Assistant researcher, Shanghai Institute of biochemistry and cell biology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Mentor: Prof. Yuan Wang

Projects: Development of a DNA vaccine against HCV. Induction of apoptosis by HCV E2.

1999,5-2000,10 Visiting scientist, Institute of Molecular Virology, National research center of environment and health, Munich, Germany.

PI: Dr. Gerd Sutter

Project: Development of a live viral vaccine against HCV.

Honors and awards

2011 Professional Development Award, University at Buffalo.

2010-2014 Discovery Seminar Course Award, University at Buffalo.

2008 Takeda Research Award, the American Physiological Society.

1999-2000 Fellowship for visiting scholars, from the International Bureau of the BMBF, Germany.

1995-2001 Fellowship from Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

1991-1992 First-class scholarship for excellent students, Nankai University.

Grant

2016-2017, Gut microbial keystone species for probiotic treatment of obesity and its comorbidities. GEM Community of Excellence, University at Buffalo. (Role: PI)

2014-2016, The high-fat-diet and DSS fed rat model for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): impact of gut microbiota on the pathogenesis of NASH. Peter and Tommy Fund, Inc. (Role: PI)

2010-2012, Development of an animal model for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and the use thereof, Peter and Tommy Fund, Inc. (Role: co-PI)

2009- , Regulation of potassium channels in gastric parietal cells, SUNY at Buffalo start-up fund. (Role: PI)

2001-2002, Development of a recombinant vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HCV): recombinant MVA-HCV live vaccine and combinational rMVA and DNA vaccine, from the National 863 High Technology Project of China, No. 863-102-07-02-02. (Role: PI)

Services

Editorial board membership

1. 2017- Editorial board member (section of gastroenterology), Frontiers in Pharmacology
2. 2016- Lead guest editor, International Journal of Genomics
3. 2016- Guest editor, Current Pharmaceutical Design
4. 2015-2016 Guest editor, BioMed Research International
5. 2014-2017 Editorial board member, the Turkish Journal of Biology
6. 2014-2015 Guest editor, Current Drug Targets.
7. 2014-2017 Editorial board member, the World Journal of Hepatology.
8. 2009-2010 Pre-reviewer, Editorial board member, the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
9. 2007-2008 Science News Editor, the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Ad hoc reviewers

Journals

1. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics,
2. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
3. American Journal of Physiology, GI
4. Analytical Chemistry,
5. Archives of Medical Research,
6. Atherosclerosis,
7. BBA Molecular Basis of Disease,
8. Biochemistry and Cell Biology,
9. Biochimie,
10. Chinese Medicine,
11. Current Drug Targets,
12. Current Pharmaceutical Design,
13. Digestive Diseases and Sciences,
14. Endocrine,
15. Fertility and Sterility,
16. Free Radical Biology and Medicine,
17. Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases International
18. Hepatology,
19. International Journal of Molecular Sciences,
20. International Journal of Nutrition,
21. Journal of Biological Education,
22. Journal of Genetics and Genomics,
23. Journal of Nutrition,
24. Journal of Translational Medicine,
25. Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology
26. Medical Science Monitor,
27. Neurochemistry International,
28. Nutrients
29. PLoS One,
30. Tissue and Cell,
31. Turkish Journal of Biology,
32. World Journal of Diabetes,
33. World Journal of Gastroenterology,
34. World Journal of Hepatology.

Grant

1. Agence Nationale de la Recherche (The French National Research Agency),
2. Fondazione Cariplo, an Italian private grant making foundation
3. Health and Medical Research Fund (Hong Kong, China)
4. Physician’s Services Incorporated Foundation (Ontario, Canada)
5. The Newton Fund, UK-Malaysia Newton Fund Non-Communicable Diseases Research
6. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO/ZonMw)

Committees

1. Fellow selection committee
2. PIF (Pediatric GI residency Program Information Form) review committee
3. Research evaluation committee for ACGME (The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) site visit

Other

1. Judge for abstract competition, EB2013, EB2014, EB2015, EB2016, the American Society for Nutrition.
2. Abstract reviewer, EB2016, EB2017, (for the American Society for Nutrition).
3. Chair, Minisymposium, Minerals and Vitamins, EB2014.
4. Chair, 2014 International Symposium on Clinical and Translational Medicine (ISCTM) – Subforum on TCM. Zhangjiang International Forum on T.C.M. May 28, 2014, Shanghai, China.

Societies

1.The American Physiological Society, Gastrointestinal and Liver Section.

2.The American Society for Cell Biology.

3.The American Gastroenterological Association.

4.The American Society for Nutrition.

5.The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

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Wensheng LIU, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Liu received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from University at Buffalo. He completed his postdoctoral training in Roswell Park Cancer Institute. His research was focused on the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer. Dr. Liu joined our research laboratory in July, 2009. His research interests include membrane trafficking in the gastric parietal cells and the molecular pathogenesis and non-invasive biomarkers of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

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Raza Patel, M.D., MPH, now Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah

Dr. Patel received his medical degree and masters degree in public health from the University of Utah. He joined the pediatrics residency program at the University at Buffalo and completed residency in June 2008. After which he joined the pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellowship program at the University at Buffalo in July 2008. His research interests in GI include inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, obesity, and variety of liver diseases

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Razan H Alkhouri M.B.B.S.,now Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Buffalo

Dr. Alkhouri received her medical degree from Jordan University for Science and Technology. She joined the pediatrics residency program at the University at Buffalo and completed residency in June 2009. After which she joined the pediatric gastroenterology hepatology and nutrition fellowship program at the University at Buffalo in July 2009. In 2009 Dr. Alkhouri won the Putnam Award for patient care. Her interests in GI include inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and variety of liver diseases. She is board certified in Pediatrics

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Sonal Desai, MD, now Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas

Dr. Desai received her BA in Biochemistry from the University of Texas in Austin, TX. Prior to attending medical school, she worked in the Research and Development Division of Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company and focused on developing surface modified microtiter plates. She received her MD from the American University of the Caribean School of Medicine in St. Maartin, Netherlands Antilles. In June 2009, she completed her Pediatric Residency from UMDNJ in Newark, NJ. She joined the University at Buffalo as a fellow in Pediatric Gastroenterolgy Hepatology and Nutition in July 2009.

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Diana Alexandra Moya, MD

Dr. Moya received her Medical Degree from the Universidad de la Sabana in Bogota, Colombia in 2003. After practicing for a few years as an in-house physician in her home country, she moved to the USA. She completed her pediatrics training at the University of South Alabama Pediatric Residency Program in June 2010. Subsequently, she joined the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship Program at the University at Buffalo. During her residency training, Dr. Moya received the Robert O. Harris, III Award granted to the best second year resident in 2009. She also received the Core Curriculum Hall of Fame Award for excellent performance in Core Curriculum series for two consecutive years. Her interest in GI includes small bowel pathology and inflammatory bowel disease.

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Zebunnissa Memon, MD

Dr. Memon obtained her medical degree from Dow Medical University, Karachi Pakistan. She completed her pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, and then joined Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition fellowship program in July 2010. Her interests include nutrition, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease and eosinophilic esophagitis.

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Ghanim Aljomah, MD

Dr. Aljomah received his medical degree from the University of Aleppo, Syria. After graduation from medical school he worked for the pharmaceutical industry in product development and medical supervision. He completed his pediatric training at Tulane University, New Orleans in July 2011. In July 2011 Dr. Aljomah joined the pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellowship program at the University at Buffalo. His interests in GI focus on inflammatory bowel disease and advanced endoscopy.

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Ricardo Arbizu, MD

Dr. Arbizu received his Medical Degree from Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala City in 2006. He completed his pediatric training at the University of South Alabama in June of 2011. During his residency he received the Core Curriculum Hall of Fame Award for excellent performance in Core Curriculum series for three consecutive years. In Febuary of 2011 he received the Travel Trainee Award at the Southern Society of Pediatric Research for his research in Eosinophilic Esophagitis. He is now part of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship Program at the University at Buffalo.

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Maan Khatib, MD

Maan Khatib, MD Received his medical degree from Jordan University for Science and Technology in June 2007, then he volunteered for a year at the Mayo Clinic Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology as a research trainee where he did research on the correlation between Celiac disease and Eosinophilic Eosophagitis, Serum markers of Celiac disease and Mayo Dysphagia Questionnaire, prior to joining the pediatrics residency at the Miami Children’s Hospital. After which he joined the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition fellowship program at the University at Buffalo in July 2012. Dr. Khatib interests in Gastroenterology include Celiac disease and Eosinophilic Eosophagitis, liver disease, advanced endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease and Nurition. He is board certified in Pediatrics.

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Colleen A. Nugent M.D, MS

Colleen A. Nugent M.D, MS is a Buffalo born and trained physician. She obtained her Bachelors of Science from Canisius College. Prior to attending medical school she completed her Master’s of Science in Exercise Science and Nutrition at SUNY Buffalo. After graduate school she attended the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. Moving across town, Womens and Childrens Hospital of Buffalo welcomed her into the General Pediatrics residency program which she completed in June 2012. After which she joined the pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition fellowship program at the University at Buffalo in July 2012. Dr. Nugent was awarded won the ACGME David Leach Award for Humanistic Patient Care in and Teaching in 2010. She remains very active in many aspects of humanistic patient care such as physician leader of Schwartz Round as well as teaching residents and medical students. Her interests in GI include nutritional management of GI diseases. Current research focus on psychological effect of chronic disease.She is board certified in Pediatrics.

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Adrian Chapa-Rodriguez, MD

Adrian Chapa-Rodriguez, MD received his Medical Degree from the Universidad de Monterrey in 2006. After graduation we worked in stem cell research at the Hospital Universitario “Jose E. Gonzalez” in Monterrey NL, being co-author in several research papers regarding stem cell and new therapies for hematologic diseases. He completed his pediatric training at John H Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, IL in June of 2013. He is now part of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship Program at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Chapa’s interests in Gastroenterology include Nutrition, Food allergies, IBD, and advanced endoscopy. He is board certified in Pediatrics.

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Sarita Singhal, MD

Sarita Singhal, MD received her Medical Degree from the Kasturba medical college in Karnataka, India in 2007. She completed her pediatrics training at the Southern Illinois University in June 2012. After the completion of residency, she worked as a pediatric hospitalist at Southern Illinois University. Subsequently, she joined the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship Program at the University at Buffalo in July 2013. Her interest in GI includes childhood obesity, eosinophilic esophagitis and inflammatory bowel disease. She is board certified in Pediatrics.

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Tavleen Bhatia, MD

Tavleen Bhatia, MD received her medical degree from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal in India in 2010. She received the Award of Academic Excellence for three consecutive years during her medical school training. Dr. Bhatia joined pediatric residency at Saint Peter's University Hospital in July 2011. During her training, she focused her research on predicting the markers of severity for acute pancreatitis in the pediatric population. She completed her residency in 2014. Following her residency, she was welcomed into the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship at the University at Buffalo in July of 2014. Dr. Bhatia's interests in GI include fatty liver disease in children, inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic esophagitis and short bowel syndrome. She is Board certified in Pediatrics.

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Reham Abdou, MD

Reham Abdou, MD received her medical degree from Tanta University Medical School in Egypt in 2008. Afteresard, Dr. Abdou had joined the Medical College of Wisconsin as a research fellow where she focused her research on Genetics of Metabolic Syndrome and graduated in 2011. She then entered pediatric residency at Nassau University Medical Center in New York and completed her residency in June 2014.Following her residency, she joined the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship Program at the University at Buffalo in July 2014. Dr. Abdou's interests in GI include liver disease in children (fatty liver, autoimmune hepatitis and metabolic diseases) and inflammatory bowel disease. She is Board certified in Pediatrics.

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Sebastian Zavoian, MD

Sebastian Zavoian, MD is a Gastroenterology fellow who trained as a Pediatrician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in Queens, New York. Sebastian graduated as a medical doctor from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania. He is interested in basic and clinical research and he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia before starting his Pediatrics training. Sebastian has an interest in general GI practice, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and a research interest in microbiome, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. He is Pediatrics board certified.

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Shelly Choudhury, MD, MBBS

Shelly Choudhury, MD, MBBS received her medical degree from Nilratan Sircar Medical College in India (2006). After graduating she practiced as a house physician in the Dept of Critical care, before shifting her career path towards basic science research at IICB, India. She continued with research work at Stanford University, CA. In 2012, Dr. Choudhury joined the pediatric residency program at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center in New York. There she pursued her interest in the field of Gastroenterology and her resident research on Ondansetron was selected for presentation at various meetings including PAS. After successfully completing her residency, Dr. Choudhury joined the Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship program at the University of Buffalo in July 2015. Her interests are in liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease. She is board certified in Pediatrics.

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== 2016 ==

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Information about other people is coming soon.