Zhen Wang

Role and Affiliation: Dr. Zhen Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), School of Medicine. His research focuses on cardiovascular and renal physiology, with a particular emphasis on diabetic nephropathy, leptin signaling pathways, and hypertension.

Education:

• B.S. in Medicine, Tongji Medical College (1999)
• M.S. in Pharmacology, Tongji Medical College (2004)
• Ph.D. in Pharmacology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (2012)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Physiology, UMMC (2014)

Research Interests: Dr. Wang investigates mechanisms linking hypertension and diabetes to kidney and cardiovascular injury. Key areas include mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress, TRPC6 signaling, and leptin's role in metabolic-cardiovascular regulation. His work employs rodent models, molecular biology techniques, and pharmacological interventions to explore therapeutic targets for diseases like hypertensive-diabetic nephropathy and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Scientific Awards:

• 2014 KCVD Young Investigator Symposium Showcase Presentation
• 2015 APS Caroline tum Suden/Francis A. Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award
• 2017 Trustmark Postdoctoral Publication Award

Grants & Collaborations: He has led NIH-funded projects including an NIDDK K99/R00 grant (2017–2022) and a COBRE pilot grant (2019) exploring TRPC6's role in diabetic-hypertensive cardiac injury. Collaborations involve advanced imaging, metabolic profiling, and transgenic mouse models.

Labs & Teams: His lab at UMMC focuses on translational research bridging basic physiology and clinical applications. Current projects include studying mitochondrial bioenergetics in obesity-related heart failure and the immunometabolic effects of leptin in acute kidney injury.