Zhang (Zhao) Lab | UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas

In the Zhang Lab, we seek to find new "rules" through studying "exceptions"

Our investigation began with a search for mutations that cause metabolic disorders in mice, using the largest mouse forward genetic screen platform developed in the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense. We have screened more than half of the mouse genome, and now study the role of these genes in various metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

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Meet the PI

Zhao Zhang, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Zhang obtained his B.S. in biotechnology from Shandong University in 2008. He received his Ph.D. in developmental biology in 2014 from the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the direction of Dr. Yun Zhao. He then joined the lab of Dr. Bruce Beutler at UT Southwestern for his post-doctoral training.

In 2020, Dr. Zhang became an Assistant Professor in the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense at UT Southwestern with support from an NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00).

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Recent Lab News

June 2025

Zhang Lab discovers GPR45 as a key ciliary regulator of appetite and obesity

A new research article from the Zhang Lab was published in Science, identifying GPR45 as a crucial ciliary GPCR that regulates food intake. This study reveals how GPR45 transports Gαs into the primary cilia of hypothalamic neurons to support localized melanocortin signaling. Disruption of GPR45’s ciliary localization leads to hyperphagia and obesity in mice. These findings not only provide fundamental insights into ciliary control of energy balance but also highlight GPR45 as a promising new target for anti-obesity therapies.

Free access to the Science paper