Phone: 86-10-62782861
Email: wenwenzeng @ tsinghua.edu.cn
Personnel
Topics of Research
Publications
Photo Gallery
The Laboratory of Wenwen Zeng
The Zeng Lab explores brain-body interactions underlying energy balance and related diseases to better understand fundamental biological processes and inform therapeutic interventions. Our primary focus is on metabolic homeostasis, its associated disorders, and the neural and immune regulation of metabolism and neuroinflammation. A deeper understanding of these processes may provide key insights for treating metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and immunological disorders.
Wenwen Zeng, Ph.D.
Education
2003 – 2009, Ph.D., Genetics and Development in Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Mentor: Zhijian “James” Chen)
1998 – 2002, B.Sc., Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University
Professional Experience
2023 – present, Professor, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua Medicine & Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, China
2020 – 2023, Associate Professor (tenured), School of Medicine & Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, China
2018 – present, Associate Director, Beijing Key Lab for Immunological Research on Chronic Diseases
2017 – 2020, Associate Professor, School of Medicine & Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, China
2014 – 2017, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine & Institute for Immunology, Tsinghua University, China
2011 – 2014, Postdoctoral Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, The Rockefeller University, USA (Advisor: Jeffrey Friedman)
2009 – 2011, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Discovery Immunology, Genentech Inc., USA (Advisor: Harinder Singh)
Recognitions and Awards
2024 The 18th China Youth Science & Technology Award
2023 Career Award for Women Scientists, Chinese Society for Cell Biology
2022 The National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholar
2018 The National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholar
2018 Young Investigator Award, Lipid Metabolism and Bioenergetics Subsociety of the Biophysical Society of China
2016 Outstanding Young Scholar Award, Qiu-Shi Science & Technologies Foundation
2015 National Young Investigator Award
Editorial Experience
Associate editor, Endocrinology (2025-)
Associate editor, AJP Endocrinology and Metabolism (2022-)
Associate editor, Molecular Immunology (2024-)
Editorial board member: Protein & Cell (2023-), Journal of Genetics and Genomics (2023-), Advanced Science (2022-), Oxford Open Immunology (2020-), Science Bulletin (2024-)
Academic Service
Committee member, Basic Immunology and Neuroimmune Subsociety, Chinese Society for Immunology
Chairperson-elect, Autonomic Nervous System Subsociety, Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences
Committee member, Neuroscience Technology Subsociety, Chinese Neuroscience Society
Executive council member, Beijing Society of Immunology
Postdoctoral
Yongwen Wan
Yongwen received his B.S. degree from Ocean University of China (OUC), then earned his Ph.D. from Tsinghua University. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher in our laboratory, exploring neurometabolic crosstalk and peripheral-central communication.
Graduate Students
Jianhui Chen
Jianhui Chen comes from Fujian, China. He got his bachelor's degree in Tsinghua university and studied life science. He mainly investigates the sympathetic activity and inflammation.
Meng Hua
Meng obtained her bachelor’s degree from China Agricultural University and Cornell University. Her research interest lies in neuroimmune crosstalk.
Weijia Chen
Weijia Chen got his bachelor's degree in Zhejiang University and studied life science. His research mainly focuses on neuroimmune response.
Jian Song
Jian Song got his bachelor's degree from Northeast Forestry University. His current research is focused on neuroimmune response.
Xinbo Ni
Xinbo Ni obtained his bachelor’s degree from Shandong Agricultural University. His research mainly focuses on the neuroimmune response.
Chengrui Cao
Chengrui obtained his bachelor's degree from Northeastern University. His current research focuses on neuro-metabolic regulation.
Jingchuan Cui
Jingchuan Cui received her bachelor's degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Her current research focuses on neuroimmunology.
Dianchun Wang
Dianchun Wang attended Capital Medical University for his bachelor's degree. Then he received his academic training on secretion mechanisms during his master's program at Peking University. His research interests focus on the gut-brain axis.
Xiangrong Liu
Xiangrong Liu obtained her Master’s degree from Shanxi Medical University. Her current research focuses on the interplay between viral infection and innate immunity.
Yifan Shen
Yifan Shen is a Ph.D. student in the School of Basic Medical Sciences. He received his bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Wuhan University. His current research focuses on glycoimmunology.
Yueke Feng
Yueke Feng is a Ph.D student in the School of Basic Medical Sciences. He got his bachelor's degree in Tsinghua university. His research mainly focuses on neuro-immune crosstalk.
Lab Alumni
Haochen Jiang：Institute of Systems Biology, Jianghan University
Zhongsheng Hu：Nanjing Legend Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
Xiaofan Ding:Century Altar Hospital
Xinmin Qian:Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School
Wenran Ren:Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto
Jiang Meng:Shanghai Qilu Pharmaceutical Research Center Co., Ltd.
Nan Deng：Haidian District People's Government of Beijing Municipality
Yixin Dai：School of Medicine,Fuzhou University
Mengxue Sun：School of Medicine, Shihezi University
Qingqing Li：Beijing BeOne Medicines Ltd.
Haoyu Yuan：Beijing Municipal Medical Products Administration
Neurometabolism and neuroinflammation in physiology
1. Neural control of metabolism
2. Neuroinflammation
3. Brain-body interaction
ORCID: 0000-0001-8544-3318
ResearcherID: D-7276-2017
Selected Publications (#corresponding author and lead author, *equal contribution)
1. Ji Z., Gao J., Zhang S., Li J., Wu H., Yao J., Ma X., Xin Y., Zhu Y., Zhao M., Zhao Z., Shen K., Wu T., Qian X., Wang J., An H., Li Y., Sun W., Zhao Q., Zhou X., Gao R., Duan Q., Li C., Geng X., Yang M., Xiao R., Liu J., Wang W., Wang J., Fu Y., Zhang J.R., Chen X., Tong P., Cheng G., Qi H., Wu L., Zeng, W., Xi Q.#, Zhang L.#, Lai Y.#, Yang W.#, Zhang Y.#, Lu Q.#, Liu W.# (2026) A metabolic alarmin from keratinocytes potentiates systemic humoral immunity. Nature.
2. Ni X., Zeng, W.# (2026) Rising Stars: Molecular and Functional Diversity of the Sensory Nervous System. Journal of Molecular Biology.
3. Zhang T., Qian X., Zhang J., Cui H., Bai T., Wang W., Wang Y., Gao Z., Han D., Zeng, W.#, Wei B.# (2026) Light-Up Nanostructures with Allosterically Controlled Fluorogenic DNA Aptamers. Advanced Materials.
4. Li Q., Chen W., Sun M., Ni X., Ran Q., Hu X., Cao F.#, Zeng, W.#(2026) Stromal Cell-Mast Cell Communication Orchestrates Anti-Viral Immunity in the Meninges. Advanced Science.
5. Wan Y., Cao C., Zeng, W.# (2025) The sympathetic neurons in the gut: Perspectives on metabolic and immune health and diseases. Current Opinion in Neurobiology.
6. Jiang M., Li Q., Chen J., Li R., Yao J., Hu Y., Zhang H., Cai L#., Luo M.#, Sun Y#., Zeng, W.#(2026) Microglial MS4A4A Protects against Epileptic Seizures in Alzheimer's Disease. Advanced Science.
7. Xu Q., Chen Y., Ni X., Zhuang H., Cao S., Zhao L., Wang L., Chen J., Yang W.Z.,Zeng, W., Li X.#, Sun H.#, Shen W.L.# (2025) High-resolution imaging atlas reveals the context-dependent role of pancreatic sympathetic innervation in diabetic mice. Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica.
8. Dai Y.*, Ni X.*, Zeng, W.# (2024) Neuroimmune interaction of the lung. Biomedical Transformation.
9. Ding, X.*, Sun, M.*, Guo, F.*, Qian, X.*, Yuan, H., Lou, W., Wang, Q., Lei, X.#, Zeng, W.# (2024) Picrasidine S induces cGAS-mediated cellular immune response as a novel vaccine adjuvant. Advanced Science.
10. Qian, X.*, Tong, M.*, Zhang, T.*, Li, Q., Hua, M., Zhou, N., Zeng, W.# (2024) IL-24 promotes atopic dermatitis-like inflammation through driving MRSA-induced allergic responses. Protein & Cell.
11. Zhang, T.*, Qian, X.*, Li, Q., Du, X., Fu, X., Gu, H., Zeng, W.#, Wei, B.# (2024) Programmable in vitro and in vivo folding of single-stranded nucleic acid wireframe origami. Chem.
12. Ren, W., Chen, J., Wang, W., Li, Q., Yin, X., Zhuang, G., Zhou, H.#, Zeng, W.# (2024) Sympathetic nerve-enteroendocrine L cell communication modulates GLP-1 release, brain glucose utilization, and cognitive function. Neuron. 112(6):972-990 e8.
13. Ren, W.*, Hua, M.*, Cao, F.#, Zeng, W.# (2024) The sympathetic-immune milieu in metabolic health and diseases: insights from pancreas, liver, intestine and adipose tissues. Adv Sci. 11(8): e2306128.
14. Ding, X., Chen J., and Zeng, W.# (2024) Neuroimmune regulation in the pancreas. Fundamental Research. 4(2):201-205
15. Wan, Y. and Zeng, W.# (2023) Neural innervation and regulation of adipose tissue. Progress in Physiological Sciences.
16. Sun, M.*, Wan, Y.*, Sun, M.*, Meng, Z.#, Zeng, W.# (2023) Neural innervation in adipose tissue, gut, pancreas, and liver. Life Metab. 2(4).
17. Zhang, S., Chen, J., Li, Q., and Zeng, W.# (2023) Opioid growth factor receptor promotes adipose tissue thermogenesis via enhancing lipid oxidation. Life Metab. 2(3).
18. Zhang, T.*#, Qian, X.*, Zeng, W.#, and Wei, B.# (2023) Custom folding of double-stranded DNA directed by triplex formation. Chem. 9(6): 1507-1517.
19. Li, Q., and Zeng, W.# (2023) Sensing and acting: Full circle in fat. Cell Metab. 35(1):9-11.
20. Jiang, M., and Zeng, W.# (2023) Antiviral immunity rewired for axon regeneration. Cell Rep Med. 4(1):100907.
21. Liu, Z., Xie, H., Li, L., Jiang, D., Qian, Y., Zhu, X., Dai, M., Li, Y., Wei, R., Luo, Z., Xu, W., Zheng, Q., Shen, J., Zhou, M., Zeng, W.# and Chen, W.# (2023). Single-cell landscape reveals the epithelial cell-centric pro-inflammatory immune microenvironment in dry eye development. Mucosal Immunol. 10.1016/j.mucimm.2023.11.008.
22. Meng, X., Chen J.#, and Zeng, W.# (2023) Stromal cell-derived NGF controls sympathetic innervation in subcutaneous fat. J Lipid Res. 64(2):100264.
23. Guo, Z., Yang, H., Zhang, J.R., Zeng, W.#, and Hu, X.# (2022) Leptin receptor signaling sustains metabolic fitness of alveolar macrophages to attenuate pulmonary inflammation. Sci Adv 8(28):eabo3064.
24. Zeng, W.#, Yang, F.#, Shen, W.#, Zhan, C.#, Zheng, P.#, and Hu, J. (2022) Interactions between central nervous system and peripheral metabolic organs, Science China Life Sciences. 65(10):1929-1958.
25. Xie, H., Heier, C., Meng, X., Bakiri, L., Pototschnig, I., Tang, Z., Schauer, S., Baumgartner, V.J., Grabner, G.F., Schabbauer, G., Wolinski, H., Robertsong, G.R., Hoefler, G., Zeng, W., Wagner, E.F., Schweiger, M.#, and Zechner, R.# (2022) An immune-sympathetic neuron communication axis guides adipose tissue browning in cancer-associated cachexia, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 119(9).
26. Meng, X.*, Qian, X.*, Ding, X.*, Wang, W.*, Yin, X.#, Zhuang, G.#, andZeng, W.# (2022) Eosinophils regulate intra-adipose axonal plasticity, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 119(3).
27. Qian, X., Meng, X., Zhang, S., and Zeng, W.# (2022) Neuroimmune regulation of white adipose tissues. FEBS J. 289(24), 7830-7853.
28. Zeng, W.#, and Qian, X. (2021) Neuronal regulation of adipose tissue biology in neuron signaling in metabolic regulation (Tong, Q., ed), CRC Press.
29. Meng, X., andZeng, W.# (2021) Fat mesenchyme closes the neural-ILC2 circuit, Immunity. 54(10), 2191-2193.
30. Zhuo, W.#, Zhou, H., Guo, R., Yi, J., Zhang, L., Yu, L., Sui, Y., Zeng, W., Wang, P.#, and Yang, M.# (2021) Structure of intact human MCU supercomplex with the auxiliary MICU subunits, Protein Cell.12(3), 220-229.
31. Zhang, S., Zhou, J., Zhang, Y., Liu, T., Friedel, P., Zhuo, W., Somasekharan, S., Roy, K., Zhang, L., Liu, Y., Meng, X., Deng, H., Zeng, W., Li, G.#, Forbush, B.#, and Yang, M.# (2021) The structural basis of function and regulation of neuronal cotransporters NKCC1 and KCC2, Commun Biol. 4(1), 226.
32. Sui, Y., andZeng, W.# (2020) MS4A4A regulates Arginase 1 induction during macrophage polarization and lung inflammation in mice, Eur J Immunol. 50(10), 1602-1605.
33. Meng, X., Zeng, W., Young, S. G.#, and Fong, L. G. (2020) GPIHBP1, a partner protein for lipoprotein lipase, is expressed only in capillary endothelial cells, J Lipid Res. 61(5), 591.
34. Hu, Z.*, Deng, N.*, Liu, K., Zhou, N., Sun, Y., andZeng, W.# (2020) CNTF-STAT3-IL-6 Axis Mediates Neuroinflammatory Cascade across Schwann Cell-Neuron-Microglia, Cell Rep. 31(7), 107657.
35. Hu, Z., Deng, N., Liu, K., andZeng, W.# (2019) DLK mediates the neuronal intrinsic immune response and regulates glial reaction and neuropathic pain, Exp Neurol. 322, 113056.
36. Wang, Q.*, Zhang, S.*, Liu, T.*, Wang, H., Liu, K., Wang, Q., andZeng, W.# (2018) Sarm1/Myd88-5 Regulates Neuronal Intrinsic Immune Response to Traumatic Axonal Injuries, Cell Rep. 23(3), 716-724.
37. Hu, Z., and Zeng, W.# (2018). Splenic Leukocytes Get the Nerves up for Myelopoiesis. Immunity. 49(1), 1-3.
38. Zhang, S.*, Li, N.*, Zeng, W., Gao, N.#, and Yang, M.# (2017). Cryo-EM structures of the mammalian endo-lysosomal TRPML1 channel elucidate the combined regulation mechanism. Protein Cell. 8(11), 834-847.
39. Jiang, H.*, Ding, X.*, Cao, Y., Wang, H., and Zeng, W.# (2017). Dense Intra-adipose Sympathetic Arborizations Are Essential for Cold-Induced Beiging of Mouse White Adipose Tissue. Cell Metab. 26(4), 686-692 e683.
40. Zeng, W.*, Pirzgalska, R.M.*, Pereira, M.M., Kubasova, N., Barateiro, A., Seixas, E., Lu, Y.H., Kozlova, A., Voss, H., Martins, G.G., et al. (2015). Sympathetic neuro-adipose connections mediate leptin-driven lipolysis. Cell. 163(1), 84-94.
41. Zeng, W.*, Lu, Y.H.*, Lee, J., and Friedman, J.M. # (2015). Reanalysis of parabiosis of obesity mutants in the age of leptin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 112(29), E3874-3882.
42. Peng, Y.*, Zeng, W.*, Ye, H., Han, K.H., Dharmarajan, V., Novick, S., Wilson, I.A., Griffin, P.R., Friedman, J.M., and Lerner, R.A.# (2015). A General Method for Insertion of Functional Proteins within Proteins via Combinatorial Selection of Permissive Junctions. Chem Biol. 22(8), 1134-1143.
43. Glasmacher, E.*, Agrawal, S.*, Chang, A.B.*, Murphy, T.L.*, Zeng, W.*, Vander Lugt, B., Khan, A.A., Ciofani, M., Spooner, C.J., Rutz, S., et al. (2012). A genomic regulatory element that directs assembly and function of immune-specific AP-1-IRF complexes. Science. 338(6109), 975-980.
44. Rutz, S., Noubade, R., Eidenschenk, C., Ota, N., Zeng, W., Zheng, Y., Hackney, J., Ding, J., Singh, H., and Ouyang, W.# (2011). Transcription factor c-Maf mediates the TGF-beta-dependent suppression of IL-22 production in T(H)17 cells. Nat Immunol. 12(12), 1238-1245.
45. Zeng, W.*, Sun, L.*, Jiang, X., Chen, X., Hou, F., Adhikari, A., Xu, M., and Chen, Z.J.# (2010). Reconstitution of the RIG-I pathway reveals a signaling role of unanchored polyubiquitin chains in innate immunity. Cell. 141(2), 315-330.
46. Zeng, W., Xu, M., Liu, S., Sun, L.#, and Chen, Z.J.# (2009). Key role of Ubc5 and lysine-63 polyubiquitination in viral activation of IRF3. Mol Cell. 36(2), 315-325.
47. Xu, M., Skaug, B., Zeng, W., and Chen, Z.J.# (2009). A ubiquitin replacement strategy in human cells reveals distinct mechanisms of IKK activation by TNFalpha and IL-1beta. Mol Cell. 36(2), 302-314.
48. Xia, Z.P., Sun, L., Chen, X., Pineda, G., Jiang, X., Adhikari, A., Zeng, W., and Chen, Z.J.# (2009). Direct activation of protein kinases by unanchored polyubiquitin chains. Nature. 461(7260), 114-119.
49. Zeng, W., and Chen, Z.J.# (2008). MITAgating viral infection. Immunity. 29(4), 513-515.
50. Yang, M., Xu, G., Li, S., Sun, L., Shi, N., Zeng, W., Pang, H., Zhang, W., and Rao, Z.# (2003). Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the extracellular fragment of FcalphaRI/CD89. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 59, 2251-2253.
51. Sun, Z.H., Lai, Y.L., Zeng, W., Zhao, D., Zuo, H.C., and Xie, Z.P.# (2003). Neural stem/progenitor cells survive and differentiate better in PD rats than in normal rats. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 87, 169-174.
52. Sun, Z.H., Lai, Y.L., Zeng, W., Zhao, D., Ye, Z.W., Zuo, H.C., and Xie, Z.P.# (2003). Mesencephalic progenitors can improve rotational behavior and reconstruct nigrostriatal pathway in PD rats. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 87, 175-180.
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Contact Address: Room D302, Medical Science Building, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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