Dr. Hao Zheng | Pharmacology | Best Academic Researcher Award
Dr. Hao Zheng | Pharmacology | University of Macau | China
Dr. Hao Zheng is an emerging leader in biomedical sciences with expertise in cancer pharmacology, metabolic disorders, chemical biology, and natural product therapeutics, currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology of Metabolic Disorders) at the University of Macau after completing a B.S. in Chinese Materia Medica at Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a Master’s in Pharmacy (Tumor Pharmacology) at Shandong University. His professional experience includes intensive research at the Key Laboratory of Natural Product Chemical Biology under Prof. Ren Dongmei, focusing on anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective natural compounds, as well as at the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where he contributed to projects on diabetes pathogenesis, glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and metabolic disorders. Dr. Zheng’s research interests center on mechanistic studies of ER-stress-mediated apoptosis, ROS-ER-stress pathways, autophagy, methuosis, PDEδ-KRAS interactions, and bioactive compound screening, integrating cellular assays, molecular biology, and pharmacological evaluation. He has successfully led multiple projects investigating natural compounds’ anti-cancer effects, including Epimedokoreanin B, (12R/12S)-Cantleyanone D, Gaudichadion H, and their mechanisms in lung and pancreatic cancer cells, while also contributing to metabolic disorder research such as glucose uptake modulation, mitochondrial pathways, and the role of LARS2 in insulin resistance. Dr. Zheng has authored 7 peer-reviewed publications, cited 123 times with an h-index of 6, demonstrating his impact on the scientific community. He has actively participated in academic forums and international symposiums, receiving recognition for innovation and service, and continues to mentor junior researchers while fostering collaborations across disciplines. His professional skills include experimental pharmacology, natural product chemistry, metabolic pathway analysis, bioassays, and mechanistic pharmacology, supported by strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
Selected Publications
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Zheng, H., et al. (2025). Garcioligantone J and K, a pair of epimeric caged-polyprenylated xanthonoids from Garcinia Oligantha, inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells through ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Pharmaceutical Science Advances, 2 citations.
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Zheng, H., et al. (2024). Epimedokoreanin B inhibits proliferation of lung cancer cells by inducing ER-stress-mediated paraptosis and autophagosome accumulation. Journal of Natural Products, 5 citations.
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Zheng, H., et al. (2023). (12R/12S)-Cantleyanone D induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells through the ROS-ER-stress pathway. Phytochemistry Letters, 4 citations.
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Zheng, H., et al. (2023). Gaudichadion H inhibits KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer growth via PDEδ-KRAS interaction interference. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 6 citations.
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Zheng, H., et al. (2022). Lactucin promotes glucose uptake and glycolysis in C2C12 myotubes through the AMPK-GLUT4 pathway. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 3 citations.