Yi Zhu

Dr. Yi Zhu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics - Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine. He leads the Zhu Lab at the Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC), focusing on adipose tissue biology and systemic metabolism. His research explores mechanisms underlying obesity and type 2 diabetes, emphasizing intercellular communication and metabolic adaptations.

Dr. Zhu earned a B.Sc. from the University of Science and Technology of China, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Utah, and completed postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He joined Baylor in 2019 to establish his lab, which integrates biochemistry, molecular biology, and rodent models to study obesity-related metabolic disorders.

Research interests include adipocyte function, gap junction signaling (Connexin43), hyaluronan's role in metabolism, and adipose-gut interactions. The lab uses advanced equipment like the Carl Zeiss Lightsheet 7 microscope and Oxford nanoimager for high-resolution imaging and functional studies.

Key projects address hyperleptinemia's role in metabolic disorders, adipocyte mesenchymal transitions in cancer, and hyaluronan-mediated glucose regulation. The lab actively recruits graduate students, medical trainees, and postdoctoral fellows for collaborative research opportunities.