CongCong He

CongCong He, PhD is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he leads the He Lab with a focus on autophagy's role in metabolism and neurological disorders.

Education

• BS in Biological Sciences from Zhejiang University (2004)
• PhD in Biological Chemistry from University of Michigan (2009)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Autophagy and Metabolism at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (2013)

Research Focus
The He Lab investigates autophagy's dual roles in cellular maintenance and metabolic regulation, particularly its involvement in obesity, type 2 diabetes, neurodegeneration, and drug abuse. Research spans from fundamental autophagy mechanisms to translational applications, including therapeutic strategies to modulate autophagy for disease prevention.

Publication Trends
Recent work explores autophagy's therapeutic potential in metabolic disorders, its role in exercise-induced benefits, and its impact on neurodegenerative diseases. The lab frequently employs mouse models and combines molecular biology with physiological studies to uncover autophagy's regulatory pathways.

Scientific Recognition

• 2023 Tenured Associate Professor promotion
• Multiple R01 grants from NIDDK and NIDA
• Lurie Cancer Center Translational Bridge Award
• AFAR New Investigator Award in Alzheimer's Disease
• BrightFocus Foundation and Northwestern Alzheimer's Center grants

Training & Mentorship
Dr. He actively mentors graduate students (NUIN and DGP programs) and postdoctoral fellows, with lab members like Kenta Kuramoto and Pingdong Liang contributing to high-impact publications in journals such as Cell Metabolism and Science Advances. The lab has received multiple competitive grant renewals and best poster awards.

Research Infrastructure
The He Lab is housed at Ward Building Room 8-007, with a relocated and expanded space in Ward Building 8-321. The lab collaborates with multiple institutes including the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease and Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS).