Rong Zhai

Rong Zhai is a Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Chicago. She has an active research program focused on neurodegeneration, autophagy, polyamine metabolism, and microRNA-mediated neuroprotection.

Education:

• PhD in Neurobiology – University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neurogenetics – Baylor College of Medicine

Research Interests: Dr. Zhai’s work centers on understanding molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases using Drosophila models. Her research spans autophagy regulation, polyamine biosynthesis, microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional control, and NAD+ metabolism. She has made significant contributions to understanding how metabolic imbalances and protein aggregation contribute to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and rare genetic neuropathies.

Scientific Impact: Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on translational neuroscience, particularly in developing therapeutic strategies for rare genetic disorders like Snyder-Robinson syndrome and hereditary neuropathies. She has consistently published in high-impact journals such as Nature Genetics, PNAS, Cell Death & Disease, and EMBO Molecular Medicine.

Funding: Dr. Zhai has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2008, holding multiple R01, R21, R33, and RF1 grants as Principal Investigator. Her current projects focus on polyamine imbalance in neurotoxicity and microRNA regulation of neuroprotective pathways.