Zhou Lab Research Statement
The goal of the Zhou laboratory is to determine the transcriptional and metabolic regulation of mucosal immune responses and host-microbiome interactions. We have characterized the interactions between various transcription factors (e.g., RORgt and Foxp3) involved in specifying the development of Th17 cells and the related iTreg lineage as well as how these interactions eventually determine whether the T cell adopts the Th17 or Treg cell fate. Recently, we have been focusing on the regulation of innate lymphoid cells (e.g., RORgt+ innate lymphoid cells) in mucosal tissues, especially by focusing on the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), an environmental sensor and a ligand-dependent transcription factor under steady-state physiological conditions and during inflammation. Our work has implications for understanding how to modulate mucosal immune responses in different disease settings, and it may ultimately lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for human diseases such as IBD or colon cancer.
The Zhou lab was established in October 2009 at Northwestern University in Chicago. The lab moved to Gainesville in December 2015.
Location
Veterinary Academic Building
1945 SW 16th Ave.
Gainesville, FL, 32608
Room V3-207
Contact us
(352) 294-8289
Email Liang: liangzhou497@ufl.edu
Email Lab Manager: taylor.steiner@ufl.edu
