معرفی
Zhong-Lin Chai is a Research Fellow in Diabetes at Monash University, leading the Chai Group. He previously headed the Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Fibrosis in Diabetic Complications at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (2006–2016) and served as a Senior Research Officer there (2004–2005). His research focuses on understanding diabetes-associated kidney and vascular injury to develop therapeutic agents for diabetic complications like nephropathy. He investigates the role of Cell Division Autoantigen 1 (CDA1) and its inhibitor CHA-061 in kidney disease pathogenesis.
- Education:
- Molecular Biology, PhD, Deakin University (1991–1995)
- MVetS, Nanjing Agricultural University (1983–1986)
- Current Roles:
- Primary Chief Investigator in multiple grants addressing diabetic kidney disease and diabetes-COVID-19 interactions
- Associate Editor for Frontiers in Medicine
His research combines molecular biology, pharmacology, and structural biology to validate CDA1 as a drug target. Projects include testing CHA-061 in mouse models (Akita and db/db) and improving its potency via structural modification. Collaborations with Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) and CSIRO aim to develop small-molecule inhibitors.
Supervision includes over 25 students across Honours, Masters, and PhD programs, with roles examining theses at multiple universities. He coordinates Monash's TRM5007/TRM6007 course (2021–present).
Recent work highlights include studies on CHA-061 efficacy, circadian syndrome's link to cognitive decline, and projections of diabetes burden in China. His team's findings contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being.
