OU-COM Department of Biomedical Sciences -- Yang Li

Research in my laboratory focuses on the role of zinc as a cellular messenger in the brain and how changing zinc homeostasis influences neuronal function. We employ cellular, molecular, biochemical and genetic approaches to address fundamental questions pertaining to the brain zinc. We study the action of rising zinc in ischemic cell death, and whether zinc found in regenerated neurons is involved in epileptogenesis of hippocampus, a brain region that contains adult CNS stem cells. The role of zinc as a new class of neurotransmitter and its relation to learning and memory in neurophysiology are also current emphasis. That zinc play an active role as a signaling factor in neurobiology represents an emerging concept and a new field of research. Our ultimate goal is to develop new therapeutic approaches to neurological diseases.