A/Prof. Zhang Yongliang
Associate Professor
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Tel: +65-6516-6407
Email: miczy@nus.edu.sg

What are your present research interests?

I am interested in elucidating the physiological function of a group of proteins known as dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs).

Do you have a distinctive viewpoint to your research?

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation is a major switch of cell signalling, playing fundamental roles in various aspects of cell life including proliferation, growth, function and cell death. DUSPs represent novel targets for therapeutic development. Understanding their function is the key for the development of DUSP-based therapies.

What do you see as your future research directions?

My long-term research goal is to target these proteins to develop novel therapies for human diseases including cancer, metabolic disease, and infection.

Does your laboratory have a particularly strong research expertise?

Dissecting signalling cascades in animal models of cancer (including colorectal and B cell lymphoma), obesity and type 2 diabetes, and viral and bacterial infection.

Recent Publications

1. Li Y, James SJ, Wyllie DH, Wynne C, Czibula A, Bukhari A, Pye K, Mustafah SMB, Fajka-Boja R, Szabo E, Angyal A, Hegedus Z, Kovacs L, Hill AVS, Jefferies CA, Wilson HL, Zhang Y*, Kiss-Toth E (In press-2019) TMEM203 is a novel binding partner and regulator of STING mediated inflammatory signalling in macrophages. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (*Co-corresponding author)
2. Yason JA, Liang YR, Png CW, Zhang Y, Tan KSW (2019) Interactions between a pathogenic Blastocystis subtype and gut microbiota: in vitro and in vivo studies. Microbiome 7:30.
3. Tang P, Low HB, Png CW, Torta F, Kumar JK, Lim HY, Zhou Y, Yang H, Angeli V, Tai ES, Flavell AR, Dong C, Wenk MR, Yang DY, Zhang Y (2019) Protective function of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 5 in aging- and diet-induced hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis. Hepatology Communications 3:748-762.
4. Manley GCA, Parker LC, Zhang Y (2019) Emerging regulatory roles of Dual-specificity phosphatases in inflammatory airway diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 20(3): 678.
5. Cui C, Song S, Yang C, Sun X, Huang Y, Li K, Zhao S, Zhang Y, Deng Y (2019) Disruption of quorum sensing and virulence in Burkholderia cenocepacia by a structure analogue of the cis-2-dodecenoic acid (BDSF) signal. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 85(8):00105-19.