Zong Wei

Zong Wei, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Physiology at Mayo Clinic, where he leads the Epigenomics of Metabolic Diseases Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding the epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms underlying diabetes, obesity, and inflammation, using advanced tools like genetic mouse models, human organoid systems, and single-cell multi-omics to identify therapeutic targets.

Key research areas include:

• Mechanistic studies of hormone-induced epigenetic switches in pancreatic beta cell function
• Discovery of novel chromatin modulators in metabolic diseases via CRISPR screening
• Elucidating epigenetic crosstalk between pancreatic islets and their microenvironment
• Investigating SWI/SNF complexes in glucocorticoid signaling
• Developing next-generation multi-omic platforms for tissue heterogeneity analysis

His recent publications highlight advancements in enhancer region analysis, Vitamin D's role in diabetes, and BRD9-mediated interferon signaling. Dr. Wei has received grants from prestigious programs, including the NIDDK K01 Award and Beckman Coulter SPRI Grant, and was a finalist for the American Diabetes Association’s Initiator Award.