Our Steering Committee » The Center for Inflammation & Mucosal Immunology » College of Veterinary Medicine

Director

Liang Zhou M.D., Ph.D.

Professor

Department: Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology

Phone: (352) 294-8293

Email: liangzhou497@ufl.edu

Mailing Address:: PO Box 110880
GAINESVILLE FL 32611

Physical Address:: PO Box 110880
GAINESVILLE FL 32611

Liang Zhou, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology (ID&I), College of Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Florida. Dr. Zhou received his MD from Nanjing Medical University (NMU), China, in 1996 and his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics in 2004.

Dr. Zhou is a molecular immunologist with specialization in two major areas: mucosal immunity and lymphocyte development/differentiation. His research focuses on environmental impact (e.g., microbes and dietary components) on host immunity, especially in mucosal tissues. The majority of his research utilizes mouse genetic models, molecular and cellular immunological approaches, and genome-based technologies.

In 2015, Dr. Zhou moved to the University of Florida from Northwestern University as part of UF’s Preeminence Initiative in Mucosal Immunology.

Accomplishments:

Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shanthi Sitaraman Lecture Series, Lecture speaker
2016 · Georgia State University
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease
2013 · Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Early Career Reviewer (ECR) program at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
2012 · National Institute of Health, NIH
Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences
2011 · Pew Charitable Trusts
Cancer Research Institute Investigator Award
2011 · Cancer Research Institute
ICS Young Investigator Award
2010 · International Cytokine Society
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship
2008 · Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Postdoctoral Investigator Award
2007 · International Cytokine Society
International Cytokine Society Travel Award
2007 · Arthritis National Research Foundation
Ariad Research Fellow–Cancer Research Institute-Irvington Institute Fellowship
2005 · CRI-Irvington Institute

Research Summary:

Dr. Zhou is actively involved in mucosal immunology research. Over the years, he has published work in various high impact journals, including Cell, Nature, Immunity, Nature Immunology, The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Science Translational Medicine, and Mucosal Immunology. During the past four years, Dr. Zhou has published four papers as a corresponding author in Immunity elucidating the molecular regulation of a type of innate lymphoid cells (group 3 innate lymphoid cells—ILC3s). His papers are highly cited and have been considered landmark discoveries in the field of immunology.

As a result of his successful research, Dr. Zhou has received various prestigious awards, including being named an International Cytokine Society Young Investigator, a Cancer Research Institute Investigator, a Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences, and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease. He has also been invited to give talks at numerous meetings and institutions nationally and internationally, and his work has been continuously funded by NIH and other private funding agencies since 2005.

Dr. Zhou’s research on the crosstalk between environmental factors and the host immune system in order to control bacterial infections while maintaining immune homeostasis may represent a novel target for immunologic intervention in preventing and treating infectious diseases. His research may also reveal novel therapies through modulation of Ahr activity for autoimmunity and cancer.

Research Interests:

Cancer
Gene expression
Infection
Inflammation
Metabolism
Microbiome
Mucosal immunology

Publications:

2023
‘Silent’ flagellin drives immunotolerance to commensal bacteria
Trends in Immunology
2023
Transcriptional regulation of innate lymphoid cells and T cells by aryl hydrocarbon receptor.
Frontiers in immunology
2023
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor cell intrinsically promotes resident memory CD8+ T cell differentiation and function.
Cell reports
2023
Nutrition impact on ILC3 maintenance and function centers on a cell-intrinsic CD71–iron axis
Nature Immunology
2023
Bcl11b sustains multipotency and restricts effector programs of intestinal-resident memory CD8 <sup>+</sup> T cells
Science Immunology
2022
Group 3 innate lymphoid cell pyroptosis represents a host defence mechanism against Salmonella infection
Nature Microbiology
2022
Cell-intrinsic view of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in tumor immunity.
Trends in immunology
2021
Mitochondrial transcription factor A in RORγt+ lymphocytes regulate small intestine homeostasis and metabolism
Nature Communications
2021
Kynurenine induces T cell fat catabolism and has limited suppressive effects in vivo.
EBioMedicine
2021
BCL11B is positioned upstream of PLZF and RORγt to control thymic development of mucosal-associated invariant T cells and MAIT17 program.
iScience
2020
Ahr-Foxp3-RORγt axis controls gut homing of CD4 + T cells by regulating GPR15
Science Immunology
2019
Yeats4 drives ILC lineage commitment via activation of Lmo4 transcription.
The Journal of experimental medicine
2019
Requirement of Mitochondrial Transcription Factor A in Tissue-Resident Regulatory T Cell Maintenance and Function.
Cell reports
2019
IL-17-producing ST2+ group 2 innate lymphoid cells play a pathogenic role in lung inflammation.
The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
2019
Hectd3 promotes pathogenic Th17 lineage through Stat3 activation and Malt1 signaling in neuroinflammation.
Nature communications
2019
Dichotomous regulation of group 3 innate lymphoid cells by nongastric Helicobacter species.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
2019
Bcl11b prevents fatal autoimmunity by promoting Treg cell program and constraining innate lineages in Treg cells.
Science advances
2019
Activation of DR3 signaling causes loss of ILC3s and exacerbates intestinal inflammation.
Nature communications
2018
SjHSP60 induces CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Tregs via TLR4-Mal-drived production of TGF-β in macrophages.
Immunology and cell biology
2018
Publisher Correction: Bcl11b is essential for licensing Th2 differentiation during helminth infection and allergic asthma.
Nature communications
2018
Bcl11b is essential for licensing Th2 differentiation during helminth infection and allergic asthma.
Nature communications
2018
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling Cell Intrinsically Inhibits Intestinal Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cell Function.
Immunity
2017
The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Preferentially Marks and Promotes Gut Regulatory T Cells.
Cell reports
2017
Regulation of Innate Lymphoid Cells by Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor.
Frontiers in immunology
2017
Perfluorooctane sulfonate affects intestinal immunity against bacterial infection.
Scientific reports
2016
Innate lymphoid cells in intestinal immunity and inflammation
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
2016
Ikaros Inhibits Group 3 Innate Lymphoid Cell Development and Function by Suppressing the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway.
Immunity
2016
AHR Function in Lymphocytes: Emerging Concepts.
Trends in immunology
2014
Restriction of IL-22-producing T cell responses and differential regulation of regulatory T cell compartments by zinc finger transcription factor Ikaros.
Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)
2014
Induction of innate lymphoid cell-derived interleukin-22 by the transcription factor STAT3 mediates protection against intestinal infection.
Immunity
2013
Group 3 innate lymphoid cells inhibit T-cell-mediated intestinal inflammation through aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling and regulation of microflora.
Immunity
2013
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor promotes RORγt⁺ group 3 ILCs and controls intestinal immunity and inflammation.
Seminars in immunopathology
2012
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor regulates gut immunity through modulation of innate lymphoid cells.
Immunity
2008
TGF-beta-induced Foxp3 inhibits T(H)17 cell differentiation by antagonizing RORgammat function.
Nature
2007
IL-6 programs T(H)-17 cell differentiation by promoting sequential engagement of the IL-21 and IL-23 pathways.
Nature immunology
2006
The orphan nuclear receptor RORgammat directs the differentiation program of proinflammatory IL-17+ T helper cells.
Cell

Grants:

Mar 2024 ACTIVE
Multivalent vaccines against Clostridium difficile infection.
UNIV OF SOUTH FLORIDA · Co-Investigator

May 2023 ACTIVE
Regulation of Gut Innate Lymphoid Cells by Ahr
NATL INST OF HLTH · Principal Investigator

Aug 2021 ACTIVE
Role of RORgt+ (note: g: is gamma symbol) lymphocytes in Gut Tissue Homeostasis
NATL INST OF HLTH NIAID · Principal Investigator

Jul 2019 – Aug 2020
Role of Bcl11b in CD4+ T cells and innate lymphoid cells
NATL INST OF HLTH NIAID · Co-Investigator

Jul 2017 – Jun 2023
Regulation of Gut Innate Lymphoid Cells by Ahr
NATL INST OF HLTH NIAID · Principal Investigator

Jul 2016 – Aug 2021
ROLE OF AHR IN T LYMPHOCYTE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
NATL INST OF HLTH NIDDK · Principal Investigator

Dec 2015 – Nov 2018
a global view of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor
PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS SCHO PRG · Principal Investigator

Dec 2015 ACTIVE
Environmental impact on host-pathogen interaction
BURROUGHS WELLCOME FUND · Principal Investigator

Feb 2015 – Oct 2023
UF Health Cancer Center Pilot Project Grants funded through the Florida Consortium of National Cancer Institute Centers Program
UF HEALTH SHANDS HOSPITAL · Project Manager

Education:

2004
Ph.D – Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
University of California, Los Angeles
1996
Medical Degree
Nanjing Medical University

0000-0003-0905-733X

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