Research Biologist — Division of Neurotoxicology

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

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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

Neuroendocrine Cells.
He Z., Ferguson S.A., Patterson T.A., and Paule M.G.
In: Slikker W. and Wang C. (eds).
Neural Cell Biology (in press).

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.

Stem Cell Activity May Partially Account for Postweaning Development of the Sexually Dimorphic Nucleus of the Preoptic Area in Rats.
He Z., Ferguson S.A., Cui L., Greenfield L.J. Jr., and Paule MG.
Plos One. 2013, 8/(1): e54927.

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.

Ischemia-Induced Increase in Microvascular Phosphodiesterase 4D Expression in Rat Hippocampus Associated with Blood Brain Barrier Permeability: Effect of Age.
He Z., He B., Behrle B.L., Fejleh M.P., Cui L., Paule M.G., and Greenfield L.J.
ACS Chem Neurosci. 2012, 3(6): 428-32.

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.

Defining the Phosphodiesterase Superfamily Members in Rat Brain Microvessels.
He Z., Cui L., Patterson T.A., and Paule M.G.
ACS Chem Neurosci. 2011 Oct, 2(10): 600-7.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Age-Related Ischemia in the Brain Following Bilateral Carotid Artery Occlusion--Collateral Blood Flow and Brain Metabolism.
He Z., Ibayashi S., Sugimori H., Fujii K., Sadoshima S., and Fujishima M.
Neurochem Res. 1997, 22(1): 37-42.

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, 699(2): 208-13.