Professor
Dr. Shengyun Fang is a leading expert in the ubiquitin–proteasome system and endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation (ERAD). His research focuses on ER proteostasis and its role in disease. In collaboration with NCATS, he has advanced small-molecule drug discovery targeting ER stress and protein quality control, including first-in-class modulators with strong therapeutic potential across multiple diseases.
Professor
Dr. Baokun He brings over 20 years of experience in new drug discovery, with significant contributions to compound screening, activity evaluation, and preclinical pharmacological assessment of small-molecule therapeutics. His recent research focuses on integrating multi-omic datasets with chemical library screening to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Dr. He's work has been published in leading international journals, including Cell Metabolism, The Journal of Experimental Medicine, and Nature Communications.
Professor
Dr. Dongyuan Cao is a neurophysiologist with extensive expertise in chronic overlapping pain conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). His research integrates behavioral pain models, electrophysiological assays, neuroimmune signaling, and epigenetic regulation to elucidate the mechanisms that drive chronic visceral and somatic pain, particularly under stress. Dr. Cao has published more than 90 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals such as Gut, Pain, Journal of Pain, and Neuropharmacology. His recent work has identified central sensitization, serotonin and glutamate receptor modulation, neuron–glia interactions, and estrogen receptor–mediated pathways as key contributors to pain hypersensitivity and chronic pain comorbidities.