Zhixun Dou

Zhixun Dou serves as an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Principal Investigator at the Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, focusing on nuclear biology in aging and cancer pathogenesis.

Education:

• B.S. from Nankai University, China
• Ph.D. from Stony Brook University, NY
• Postdoctoral training with Dr. Shelley Berger at University of Pennsylvania

His research integrates Aging, Cancer, and Immunology through investigations of nuclear degeneration mechanisms. Pioneering work includes defining nuclear autophagy (Nature 2015) and identifying cytoplasmic chromatin's role in age-related inflammation (Nature 2017), with ongoing exploration of chromatin dynamics, epigenetic regulation, and cellular senescence pathways in tumorigenesis.

As laboratory director, Dr. Dou oversees research operations and mentorship of trainees. His work receives institutional support through Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School infrastructure.

The Dou Laboratory operates from Simches Research Center (185 Cambridge Street, Boston), advancing therapeutic strategies targeting nuclear degeneration processes in age-associated diseases and oncology.