Dr. Zheng is a leading authority on amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the presenilins, two proteins involved in the APP processing pathway that produces the Alzheimer’s-linked fragment beta-amyloid. Working with molecular and cellular techniques and genetically engineered mice, she has conducted field-leading explorations of the mechanisms through which rare genetic changes in APP and the presenilins cause Alzheimer’s. Her work has advanced understanding of how Alzheimer’s disrupts cell-to-cell signaling and contributed critical insights in the effort to develop new therapies.
She has served on multiple professional advisory bodies, including the Neuroscience of Aging Review Committee and the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration (CMND) Study Section at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). A widely published author, she holds associate editor positions at Molecular Neurodegeneration and Neuroscience Letters.