Zhong-Ping Feng

My research centers on ion channel regulation and calcium-dependent signaling as core drivers of neurodevelopment and neurological disorders, with the goal of identifying new drug targets. We use the accessible Lymnaea stagnalis synapse and learning & memory as discovery platforms to isolate conserved and novel molecular cascades governing neural plasticity and cellular tolerance to hypoxic-ischemic stress. This invertebrate model allows single-neuron manipulation, enabling detection of pathways linking calcium influx through calcium-permeable channels to adaptive or maladaptive responses. In parallel, we validate these findings and identify new mechanisms in mouse models of neurodevelopmental/degenerative disorders and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Our core hypothesis is that distinct activity patterns across calcium-permeable channels determine neuronal resilience versus vulnerability. We combine electrophysiology, optical imaging, and biochemical assays with transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to characterize how ion channels and calcium-binding proteins influence neuronal fate. Computational modeling integrates these datasets and predicts channel behavior under physiological and pathological conditions. This strategy of mechanistic exploration in Lymnaea and confirmation in mammals, supported by multi-omics and modeling, identifies druggable targets within calcium-signaling networks, offering therapeutic opportunities for disorders with limited treatment options.