Pang Lab is Moving to HelixNJ in the near future!
Research in our laboratory focuses on studying the intricate world of synaptic transmission regulation while bridging the gap from stem cells to the brain. We study the synaptic basis of the regulation of feeding, satiety, metabolism, and obesity. Our studies aim to provide insights into the neural causes and consequences of childhood obesity. We also utilize human neuronal models derived from induced pluripotent stem cells to study the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, including pediatric developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia. We hone in on unraveling the mechanisms of synaptic transmission alterations in health and diseases (metabolic syndrome and mental disorders) to provide information for devising novel therapeutics to improve the well-being of humans.
Wang, L., Savani, R.H., Lu, Y. et al. State-dependent central synaptic regulation by GLP-1 is essential for energy homeostasis. Nat Metab (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01305-x 
Zhao, X., Li, Y., Zhang, S. et al. Alzheimer’s disease protective allele of Clusterin modulates neuronal excitability through lipid-droplet-mediated neuron-glia communication. Mol Neurodegeneration 20, 51 (2025). 
Xindi Li et al. ,Polygenic risk for alcohol use disorder affects cellular responses to ethanol exposure in a human microglial cell model.Sci. Adv.10,eado5820(2024).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.ado5820 
Lu, Y., Wang, L., Luo, F., Savani, R., Rossi, M. A., & Pang, Z. P. (2024). Dorsolateral septum GLP-1R neurons regulate feeding via lateral hypothalamic projections. Molecular Metabolism, 85, 101960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101960 
Liu JJ et al. Nat Neuroscience, 2022. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-021-00984-5 
Halikere A et al. Mol Psychiatry, 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7051890/ 
Liu J et al. Neuron, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29056294/ 
Wang et al. Cell Report, 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26212334/
Contact Information
Zhiping P. Pang, MD, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Director of Center for NeuroMetabolism
Professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology
Child Health Institute of New Jersey
Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
89 French Street, Room 3277
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-235-8074
Email: pangzh@rwjms.rutgers.edu
Pang Lab 