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The Zhu Lab
Our research centers on an engineering-driven medicine approach to study degenerative diseases associated with aging, including neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, musculoskeletal disorders such as Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease such as Atherosclerosis, and metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes. We integrate biomaterials, organoid systems, organ-on-chip platforms, immunoengineering, and neuroengineering to investigate the mechanisms that drive tissue degeneration and to design targeted therapeutic strategies. By combining mechanistic insight with translational design, our work aims to preserve tissue function, improve quality of life, and support healthier aging trajectories.
Immunofluorescence staining of a brain organoid
News & Events
March 20, 2026: Dr. Zhu's FEATURES article on organoid research published in the SFB Biomaterials Forum First Quarter 2026.
September 23, 2005: Dr. Zhu has been appointed by NIH as a chartered Standing Member of Study Section MTE.
August 27, 2025: Dr. Zhu has been elected to the 2025 BMES Class of Fellows.
August 26, 2025: The Zhu Lab receives a collaborative $3.3 million NIH R01 grant with Dr. Cai from USF for studying amyloid-beta inhibition by novel peptide-based biomaterials in Alzheimer's disease.
April 3, 2025: Congratulations to Sai for winning First Place and People's Choice Awards for the 2025 SBU 3 Minute Thesis Competition!
January 21, 2025: CEAS Launches First Annual Awards Ceremony, Honoring Excellence in Research, Teaching and Service. During the ceremony, Dr. Zhu has been named as the inaugural Dean's Excellence Professorship for Research. Dr. Zhu also received multiple awards from CEAS: Excellence in Mentoring, 2023-2024 Millionaires Club, 2022-2023 Millionaires Elite, 2023-2024 Millionaires Elite.
June 10th, 2024: The Zhu Lab receives a collaborative $3 million NIH R01 grant with Dr. Cheng at Columbia for pediatric heart defect research. This funding will support their groundbreaking research on developing a novel stent designed for children with heart defects, such as coarctation of the aorta.
January 24th, 2024: Congratulations to Sai for passing her Proposal Defense! ​
January 8th, 2024: Congratulations to Carmine for passing her Proposal Defense!
October 9th, 2023: JC et al review paper on "Customized Additive Manufacturing in Bone Scaffolds - the Gateway to Precise Bone Defect Treatment" published in Advanced Science.
July 10th, 2023: JC et al. paper on "Evolution from Bioinert to Bioresorbable: In Vivo Comparative Study of Additively Manufactured Metal Bone Scaffolds" published in Advanced Science.
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