Heng Zeng, MD

Heng Zeng, MD

Assistant Professor

Department:
SOM-Pharmacology/Toxicology

Email:
hzeng@umc.edu

Work Phone:
(601) 984-1611

Biography

After receiving M.D. Degree in medical school from the University of South China in 1987, Dr. Zeng worked as a Surgeon at the Department of Surgery of Hengyang Medical First Hospital for ten years. In 1997, she came to U.S. A, to study postdoctoral training at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. In 1999-2011, she worked at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2011. She has been an assistant professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology since 2020.
Her research interest focuses on elucidating the novel roles of the mitochondrial frataxin-Sirtuin 3-TIGAR signaling pathway and mitochondrial ferroptosis/iron-sulfur cluster that regulate vascular endothelial metabolisms, mitochondrial dysfunction, and heart failure of diabetic cardiomyopathy, cardiomyopathy of Friedreich’s Ataxia by using endothelial-specific knockout, cardiomyocyte-specific knockout mouse models. She is also interested in gender differences in pressure-induced coronary autoregulation in heart failure.

Education

University of South China, MD, Medicine1987
University of Southern Illinois, USA , School of Medicine, postdoctoral, Pharmacology

Current Positions

Assistant Professor, School of Medicine07/2020 - Present
The University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, Mississippi 39216

Academic Appointments or Other Previous Appointments

Scientist, University of Mississippi Medical Center, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology / Toxicology09/2011 - 06/2020
Scientist, Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics07/2005 - 08/2011
Research Associate, Vanderbilt University, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine10/1999 - 06/2005
Postdoctoral fellow, South Illinois University, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology / Toxicology10/1997 - 09/1999
Assistant Professor, University of South China, School of Medicine, Department of Surgery07/1987 - 09/1997

Sponsored Program Funding

Extramural, Coronary microvascular dysfunction and diastolic dysfunction in diabetes, NHLBI10/2025 - 09/2029
Extramural, Inactivation of Sirtuin 3-mediated TIGAR in heart of Friedreich's ataxia, NHLBI10/2025 - 09/2029
Extramural, Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Friedreich's Ataxia, NHLBI07/2025 - 06/2029
Intramural, p53 acetylation in microvascular rarefaction and heart failure, UMMC11/2023 - 11/2025
Extramural, p53 acetylation in microvascular rarefaction and heart failure, NHLBI09/2022 - 08/2024
Extramural, Endothelial glucose metabolism and Coronary microvascular dysfunction in aged female, P20NIH/GM104357 pilot grant12/2021 - 04/2023
Extramural, Endothelial PHD2 in hypertensive vascular remodeling, NHLBI09/2021 - 08/2025
Extramural, Coronary microvascular rarefaction in diabetic/obese heart, NHLBI03/2017 - 02/2022

Presentations

Platform Presentations, Endothelial Phd2 Deficiency Impairs Endothelial-Dependent Relaxation And Promotes Coronary, International Vascular Biology Meeting - IVBM, Amsterdam, Netherlands07/2024
State/Local Invited Seminars/Lectures, P53 acetylation in cardiac fibrosis microvascular dysfunction, and heart failure in mice, Department of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, UMMC02/2024
Poster Presentation, Deficiency Of Sirtuin 3 In Endothelium Reduces Endothelial-Dependent Relaxation And Impairs Myogenic Response In Coronary And Middle Cerebral Arteries Of Mice., AHA, Philadelphia. PA11/2023
Poster Presentation, Endothelial Phd2 Deficiency Promotes Angiotensin-Ii-Induced Arterial Stiffness And Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction., NAVB, Newport, Ri10/2023
Poster Presentation, Treatment with PFKFB3 inhibitor potentially improves diastolic function and arterial stiffness in PHD2ECKO mice., APS Physiology, Long Beach, LA04/2023
State/Local Invited Seminars/Lectures, Sex differences of endothelial Sirt3 in Angiotensin-II induced perivascular fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction., Department of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, UMMC02/2023
Platform Presentations, Sex differences of endothelial Sirt3 in Angiotensin-II induced perivascular fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction, External Advisory Board (EAC) meeting, UMMC09/2022
Poster Presentation, Ferrostatin-1 Ameliorates Cardiac Dysfunction in a Cardiomyocyte-Specific SIRTUIN 3 Knockout Mouse Model., AHA hypertension meeting, San Diego, CA09/2022
Poster Presentation, Regulatory Role Of Endothelial Phd2 On Hypertensive Arterial Stiffness And Vascular Calcification. Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine, Scientific Sessions, Seattle, WA05/2022
Poster Presentation, Treatment with PFKFB3 inhibitor potentially improves diastolic function and arterial stiffness in PHD2ECKO mice., APS Physiology, Long Beach, LA04/2022
Poster Presentation, Novel Regulatory Role Of SIRT3 On Cardiomyocyte Mitochondrial Frataxin And Ferroptosis., Experimental Biology Meeting, Philadelphia, PA04/2022
State/Local Invited Seminars/Lectures, Sirt3 deficiency in blood pressure, diastolic dysfunction, and renal fibrosis. Department of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, UMMC02/2022
Platform Presentations, DEFICIENCY OF SIRTUIN3 DISRUPTS ENDOTHELIAL GLUCOSE METABOLISM AND SENSITIZES PRESSURE OVERLOAD­INDUCED HEART FAILURE, AHA Scientific sessions, philadelphia, PA11/2019
Platform Presentations, Role of p53 acetylation in mediating myocardial angiogenesis and diabetic cardiomyopathy., AHA BCVS meeting, Boston, MA08/2019
Poster Presentation, Deficiency of sirtuin 3 accentuates angiotensin ii-induced arterail stiffness/myocardial fibrosis and hypertension., Experimental Biology, Orlando, Florida04/2019
Platform Presentations, regulatory role of endothelial sirt3 on blood pressure and diastolic dysfunction in a female mice., AHA council on hypertension, Chicago, IL09/2018
Poster Presentation, ablation of endothelial sirt3 exacerbates pressure overload-induced heart failure., AHA BCVS meeting, San Antonio08/2018
Platform Presentations, Sirtuin 3 attenuates diabetic cardiomyopathy via suppression of p53 acetylation and regulating cardiomyocyte metabolism., Experimental Biology, San Diego04/2018
Poster Presentation, Deletion of endothelial Sirt3 causes diastolic dysfunction, AHA council on hypertension, San Francisco, CA09/2017
Poster Presentation, Treatment with Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor Reverses Pre-Existing Diastolic Dysfunction in the Aged SIRT3 Knockout Mice, EB meeting, Chicago04/2017
Poster Presentation, Deletion of Endothelial Sirt3 Causes Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction and HFpEF., Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA04/2016
Poster Presentation, Sirt3 regulates oxygen sensors and blood vessel formation in the heart., AHA, New Orleans, LA09/2013
Platform Presentations, Sirt3 is essential for apelin-gene therapy mediated cardiac repair in post-myocardial infarction of diabetes., AHA meeting, New orleans09/2013
Poster Presentation, SIRT3 Deficiency Impairs Hypoxic Signaling, Reprograms Basal Glycolytic Metabolism and Exacerbates Myocardial Ischemic Injury, Experimental Biology, Boston, MA04/2013
Poster Presentation, Apelin-13 Increases Myocardial Progenitor Cells and Improves Myocardial Remodeling of Post-myocardial, AHA meeting, New orleans09/2012
Poster Presentation, Apelin Reduces Myocardial Infarction Size and Promotes Angiogenesis by Increasing SDF-1/CXCR4 and AKT/eNOS/VEGF pathways, AHA meeting, Dallas07/2012
Poster Presentation, Regulation Of Sirt3 And Autophagy By Bone Marrow Cells Therapy Improves Cardiac Repair In Post-myocardial Infarction Mice, AHA meeting, Dallas07/2012
Poster Presentation, Ang-1 reduces myocardial infarction via upregulation of SDF-1/CXCR4 and recruiting hematopoietic progenitor cells in the diabetic db/db mouse model., AHA meeting, Orlando, FL11/2011
Platform Presentations, Hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced myocardial angiogenesis: Role of NADPH oxidase derived reactive oxygen species (ROS), AHA meeting, CIRCULATION 114: 155-155; 2006., AHA meeting, Chicago11/2006
Poster Presentation, Role of NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) in angiopoietin-1-induced angiogenesis, FASEB JOURNAL 18: A385-A385; 2004., EB meeting, Washington DC03/2004

Honors, Awards, and Recognition

Excellence in Research Award (Bronze), The University of Mississippi Medical Center2023

Professional Membership and Service

North American Vascular Biology organization, Member2023 - Present
American Physiology Society, Member2023 - Present
AHA, Member2020 - Present

Committee Service

Mentor member of Dr. Joey's T32 training grant, Member2023 - Present
Cardiac Discussion group, Member2023 - Present
cardiac grant review member, Member2023 - Present
Co-Mentor, PhD student's Dissertation Committee Member, Member2020 - Present

Other Service

Digital Chinese Medicine05/2024 - Present
International Journal of Medical Sciences05/2024 - Present
Journal of Advanced Research05/2024 - Present
JoVE Journal09/2023 - Present

Teaching Experience

4, Medicine, Small Group, Facilitator, pharmacology small groupFall 2021 - 2021

Directed Student Learning

Research Advisor, Advised: Ziru Niu2024 - Present
Supervised Research, Advised: Jacob Hearin2024 - 2024
Supervised Research, Advised: Kendall Curry2023 - 2023
Supervised Research, Advised: Savanna Sheppard2023 - 2023
Supervised Research, Advised: Bryce Little2023 - 2023
Dissertation Committee Member, Endothelial PHD2 in heart failure
Advised: Quinesha Williams
2021 - Present
Dissertation Committee Member, Targeting ferroptosis in mitochondrial cardiomyopathy
Advised: Aubrey C Cantrell
2020 - 2024
Research Advisor, Advised: Ubong S Ekperikpe2019 - 2019
Research Advisor, Advised: Nathan E campbell2019 - 2019
Supervised Research, The role of pericyte in hypertensive heart failure
Advised: Han Su
2018 - 2020
Research Advisor, Advised: Sumit Sontakke2017 - 2017
Research Advisor, The role of mitochondrial oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of Preeclampsia
Advised: Venkata Ramana Vaka
2014 - 2015
Research Advisor, The Role of Endothelial SIRT3 in Cardiac Hypertrophy and Heart Failure
Advised: Xiaochen He
2012 - 2017

Fellows supervised

Research Advisor, 12 fellows supervised, G754, G32510/2011 - 12/2024