Heng Zhao
Dr.Zhao'slabmainlystudiestheprotectiveeffectofpostconditioningagainststroke.Reperfusion(therestorationofbloodflow)isoneofthefirstchoicesforischemicstroketreatment.However,reperfusioncanalsocauseoverproductionofreactiveoxygenspecies(ROS)orfreeradicalsthatleadtoreperfusioninjury.Limitingthedamagecausedbyreperfusionisakeyissueforstroketreatment.Dr.Zhao'slabmemberswerethefirsttodemonstratethatinterruptingtheearlyhyperemicresponseafterreperfusionreducesinfarctionafterstroke,anovelphenomenoncalledpostconditioning.Sincepostconditioningisperformedafterreperfusion,ithasgreatpotentialforclinicalapplication.Inaddition,wealsostudyprotectiveeffectofpreconditioningandmildhypothermia.Therationaleforstudyingthreemeansofneuroprotectionisthatwemaydiscovermechanismsthatthesetreatmentshaveincommon.Conversely,iftheyhavedifferingmechanisms,wewillbeabletooffermorethanonetreatmentforstrokeandincreaseapatientschanceforrecovery.Thelab'sresearchesincludestudyingrolesofcaspase-dependentandindependentapoptoticpat