Johns Hopkins University · PharmacologyLab for Neurodevelopmental Epigenetics
Heng Zhu · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Heng Zhu's lab at Johns Hopkins University focuses on understanding how DNA methylation affects brain development and neurological disorders. They are particularly interested in a less-studied type of DNA methylation known as CpH methylation, which occurs in the neurons of the brain. The lab combines innovative techniques to identify proteins that bind to this type of methylation, aiming to elucidate their roles in transcriptional regulation and potentially uncover new therapeutic targets for conditions like fragile X syndrome and ALS.
DNA methylationCpH methylationneuronal functionneurodevelopmental disorderstranscription regulationepigeneticschromatinMeCP2
Research Aims
4AIM 01Identify mCpH binding proteins using protein array and Digital Affinity Profiling techniques.
AIM 02Characterize the roles of these bindings in transcriptional and chromatin regulation within neurons.
AIM 03Evaluate the effectiveness of identified binding proteins through in vitro and in vivo assays.
AIM 04Provide a rich resource of mCpH-binding proteins that may inform future research on brain disorders.
Skills the Lab Values
DNA sequencingprotein arrayDigital Affinity Profilinggel-shift assayshigh-throughput sequencingviral vector deliverychromatin profilingRNA sequencing
Output against the department
Publications258top 31% of dept.145th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations23ktop 14% of dept.64th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.