Min Zhou
Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience
4066C Graves Hall
333 W. Tenth Avenue
Columbus, OH
43210
Areas of Expertise
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Education
- PhD: Tongji Medical College, China and Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Postdoctoral Training: Albany Medical College
Current Research Description
Dr. Zhou’s laboratory focuses on the physiology and pathophysiology of astrocytes, a glial subtype that are linked through conduit proteins, gap junctions, into a syncytium. The syncytial coupling has been indicated in their recent study to confer an isopotentiality to astrocytes network, by which astrocytes operate as a functional system in brain homeostasis. In ongoing studies, they are investigating 1) the anatomical basis, gap junction, ion channel mechanisms and biophysical rationale underlying this newly appreciated glial mechanism; 2) how neuronal signaling regulates the functional states of astrocyte syncytium, and that in turn, subserves brain homeostasis and synaptic transmission; and 3) how disruption of an astrocyte syncytium, at both of the structural and functional levels, is etiologically associated with neurological disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, and depression.