Email Address:
jzheng@jsei.ucla.edu
Work Phone Number:
(310) 206-2173
Office Address:
CHS BH-973B
Los Angeles, CA 90095
| Affiliations |
| Professor, Ophthalmology |
| Member, Brain Research Institute, CTSI, Genetics & Genomics GPB Home Area, JCCC Signal Transduction and Therapeutics Program Area, Molecular Biology Institute, Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology GPB Home Area, Stein Eye Institute |
| Faculty, Cell & Developmental Biology GPB Home Area, Computational and Systems Biology Interdepartmental Program |
Our current research is at the interface of chemical biology, computational biology, structural biology, systems biology, and therapeutic development. To better understand the biological functions of different signaling pathways in the visual system and to explore the therapeutic potential of targeting abnormal signaling pathways. The current focus of our laboratory is structure-based drug discovery with an emphasis on developing proteins and small molecules that can systematically modulate signal transduction pathways. In an effort of translational research, our laboratory is also interested in structure-based drug repositioning.
Currently, the Wnt pathway is one of the focuses in our laboratory. Wnt signaling plays an essential role in embryonic development and regulation of cell growth. Inappropriate activation of the Wnt pathway has been shown to lead to different eye diseases, including glaucoma, degenerative retinal disorders, and corneal diseases. Aiming to develop potential novel pharmaceutical agents, we have taken a systems biology approach and are working on the development of small-molecule inhibitors that target different protein-protein interactions alone the Wnt signaling pathways.