BLR&D Research Career Scientist Award Application

目的：本申请的目标是申请研究职业科学家（RCS）奖，并 支持Huiping Zhou博士的VA研究计划。 提名：周博士自2008年以来一直担任VA研究化学家一职，她还拥有 弗吉尼亚州微生物学和免疫学系终身教授的头衔 弗吉尼亚州里士满的联邦大学医学院。周博士的研究 该计划一直由VA MERIT评审奖，NIH R 01赠款，几个 当地的基金会和制药公司，因为她建立了她的独立研究 2004年的节目。周博士在相关科研领域做出了重大贡献 肝损伤和代谢疾病在她的职业生涯中，并发表了100多个同行- 审查了原创研究文章，这些文章已经创建了超过6000次引用。此外，博士。 周先生在VA赞助的多个研究项目中担任联合研究员。 研究：周博士实验室的研究是调查药物的潜在机制- 诱导的肝损伤和胆汁酸介导的信号通路在肝脂质中的作用 在生理和病理条件下的代谢，并进一步寻找新的， 更有效的治疗方法来预防和治疗代谢性疾病。肝胆汁酸破坏 稳态通常发生在各种病理状态中 疾病（NAFLD）、酒精性脂肪性肝病（ALD）、胆汁淤积性肝病以及药物- 诱发肝损伤。由于胆汁酸介导的肝损伤的确切机制和 代谢性疾病仍不清楚，有效的治疗方法有限。周博士的研究是 高度专注于识别与疾病有关的新细胞/分子机制 NAFLD、ALD和胆汁淤积性肝病的进展。周博士的研究采用了统计- 现有技术，包括各种肝细胞的分离和培养， 信使RNA（mRNA）、非编码RNA（ncRNA）、mRNA/ncRNA/RNA结合蛋白（RBP） 相互作用和细胞外载体介导的通信。周博士的团队 建立NAFLD/NASH、ALD和胆汁淤积的动物模型。她的团队也 广泛使用的基因修饰动物，包括组织特异性敲除小鼠。的 周博士的研究计划的一个超越目标是阐明细胞/分子 调节肝脏脂质稳态的机制，并为 开发各种肝病的新疗法。 影响：周博士的研究项目直接解决了一个重要的健康问题， VA使命，因为NAFLD/NASH、ALD和胆汁淤积性肝病在我们的 VA患者人群。周博士还积极与一些研究人员合作， McGuire VA医疗中心的研究服务。她的专业知识和学术活动有助于 促进VAMHCS研究。

AIMS: The goal of this application is to apply for Research Career Scientist (RCS) Award and to support Dr. Huiping Zhou’s VA research program. NOMINEE: Dr. Zhou has held a VA Research Chemist position since 2008, and she also holds the title of Tenured Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Zhou’s research program has been continuously funded by VA MERIT Review Awards, NIH R01 grants, several local foundations and pharmaceutical companies since she established her independent research program in 2004. Dr. Zhou has made significant contributions to scientific research fields related to liver injury and metabolic diseases throughout her career, and published more than 100 peer- reviewed original research articles that have created more than 6000 citations. In addition, Dr. Zhou acts as a co-investigator in several VA-sponsored research projects. Research: Studies in Dr. Zhou’s laboratory are to investigate the mechanisms underlying drug- induced liver injury and the role of bile acid-mediated signaling pathways in hepatic lipid metabolism under physiological and pathological conditions, and to further search for new and more effective therapies to prevent and treat metabolic diseases. Disruption of hepatic bile acid homeostasis occur commonly in various pathological states such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD), cholestatic liver diseases as well as drug- induced liver injury. Since the exact mechanisms underlying bile acid-mediated liver injury and metabolic diseases are still obscure, effective therapeutics are limited. Dr. Zhou’s research is highly focused on identification of novel cellular/molecular mechanisms involved in disease progression of NAFLD, ALD and cholestatic liver diseases. Dr. Zhou’s research employs the stat- of-the-art techniques, including isolation and culture of various hepatic cells, examine specific messenger RNA (mRNA), non-coding RNA (ncRNA), mRNA/ncRNA/RNA –binding proteins (RBP) interactions and extracellular vehicles-mediated communications. Dr. Zhou’s group has established animal models for NAFLD/NASH, ALD, and cholestasis. Her group has also extensively used genetic modified animals including tissue-specific knockout mice. The overreaching goal of Dr. Zhou’s research program is to elucidate the cellular/molecular mechanisms that govern hepatic lipid homeostasis and to create a fundamental base for development of new therapeutics for various liver diseases. IMPACT: Dr. Zhou’s research program directly addresses an important health issue relevant to the VA mission, since NAFLD/NASH, ALD and cholestatic liver diseases occur commonly in our VA patient population. Dr. Zhou is also actively collaborates a number of investigators in the Research service of the McGuire VA Medical Center. Her expertise and academic activity help promoting VAMHCS research.