Education&Working Experience

1995-1999, Nanjing University, Bachelor of Biology

1999-2006, Department of Biology, Tsinghua University, PhD

2006-2009, Harvard Medical School Postdoc

2009-2012, Tufts University Research Associate

2012-present, Professor of Ocean University of China

Research Interests

We are interested in using genetic, cellular, and biochemical approaches to study the mechanism of ciliogenesis using zebrafish and trichoplax as model systems. Over the last few years, we have made significant progress in deciphering the roles of cilia during body axis straightening and photoreceptor degeneration. Our work has been published in several distinguished journals, including Nature Genetics, Plos Genetics and JBC.

Trichioplax is one of the simplest multicellular organisms in the evolutionary tree of life. Deciphering the mechanisms of cell migration, differentiation and regeneration inTrichioplax will help us to better understand how metazoans originate from single cell organisms. Currently, we aim to establish this animal as a model system through combining genetic, molecular and cellular approaches. We welcome all the postdocs and graduate students who are interested in the study of evolution and developmental biology to join us.

Recent Selected Publications:

      1. Xie H #, Kang Y #, Liu J, Huang M, Dai Z, Shi J, Wang S, Li L, Li Y, Zheng P, Sun Y, Han Q, Zhang J, Zhu Z, Xu L, Yelick PC*, Cao M *, Zhao C *. Ependymal polarity defects coupled with disorganized ciliary beating drive abnormal cerebrospinal fluid flow and spine curvature in zebrafish, PLoS Biology, 2023 ;21(3): e3002008.

  2. Zhu P#, Zheng P #, Kong X, Wang S, Cao M *, Zhao C *. Rassf7a promotes spinal cord regeneration and controls spindle orientation in neural progenitor cells, EMBO Reports, 2023; 24(1): e54984.

  3. Xie H#, Wang X#, Jin M, Li L, Zhu J, Kang Y, Chen Z, Sun Y*, Zhao C*. Cilia regulate meiotic recombination in zebrafish. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 2022; doi:10.1093/jmcb/mjac049.

  4. Xie H #, Li M#, Kang Y#, Zhang J*, Zhao C*. Zebrafish: An important model for understanding scoliosis, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 2022;79(9):506.

  5. Zhao L#, Xie H#, Kang Y, Lin Y, Liu G, Sakato-Antoku M, Patel-King RS, Wang B, Wan C, King SM, Zhao C*, Huang K*. Heme-binding protein CYB5D1 is a radial spoke component required for coordinated ciliary beating. PNAS. 2021 ;118(17): e2015689118. 

  6. Xie H#, Kang Y#, Wang S, Zheng P, Chen Z, Roy S, Zhao C*. E2f5 is a versatile transcriptional activator required for spermatogenesis and multiciliated cell differentiation in zebrafish. PLOS Genetics, 2020 16 (3), e1008655.

  7. Zhang X#, Jia S#, Chen Z, Chong YL, Xie H, Feng D, Wu X, Song DZ, Roy S, Zhao C*. Cilia-driven cerebrospinal fluid flow directs expression of Urotensin neuropeptides to straighten the vertebrate body axis. Nature Genetics. 2018 50(12):1666-1673. 

  8. Feng D#, Chen Z, Yang K, Miao S, Xu B, Kang Y, Xie H, Zhao C*. The cytoplasmic tail of rhodopsin triggers rapid rod degeneration in kinesin-2 mutants. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2017, 292(42): 17375 -17386.

  9. Zhao C#, Malicki J*. Nephrocystins and MKS proteins interact with IFT particle and facilitate transport of selected ciliary cargos. EMBO J. 2011;30(13):2532-44.

  10. Zhao C#, Omori Y, Brodowska K, Kovach P, Malicki J: Kinesin-2 family in vertebrate ciliogenesis. PNAS, 2012 109(7):2388-93.