Rate My Professor Zhixing Zhu

Zhixing Zhu is a researcher in the Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science at the University of Otago Christchurch. He completed a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2024 with a thesis titled 'Role of substance P-mediated acute inflammation by activating neurokinin 1 receptor in acute liver and lung injury in sepsis.' His doctoral work was supervised by Professor Madhav Bhatia, Associate Professor Stephen Chambers, and others. Zhu joined the University of Otago as a PhD candidate in the Inflammation Research Group around 2020. His research investigates the role of neuropeptides and gaseous signaling molecules in inflammation, organ injury, and sepsis. Specifically, he has explored how substance P (SP), via its neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R), contributes to acute inflammatory responses, leukocyte infiltration, and ferroptosis in the liver and lungs during sepsis. Additionally, his studies examine hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a mediator in programmed cell death, oxidative stress, and pulmonary diseases.

Zhu has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications in prominent journals. Key works include 'Suppressing the Substance P-NK1R Signalling Protects Mice against Sepsis-Associated Acute Inflammatory Injury and Ferroptosis in the Liver and Lungs' (Antioxidants, 2024), 'Substance P Promotes Leukocyte Infiltration in the Liver and Lungs during Sepsis' (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024), 'Inflammation and Organ Injury: The Role of Substance P and Its Receptors' (2023), 'Hydrogen Sulfide: A Gaseous Mediator and Its Key Role in Inflammatory Diseases' (Antioxidants, 2022), and 'Gases in Sepsis: Novel Mediators and Therapeutic Targets' (2022). These publications demonstrate the therapeutic potential of targeting SP-NK1R signaling to mitigate sepsis-induced damage and highlight the regulatory roles of gaseous mediators in inflammatory pathologies. Zhu presented his research at the University of Otago Christchurch Research Seminar Series on 8 July. His doctoral studies were supported by scholarships from the University of Otago and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University.