Joint PIs

Zhigang Liu

  • Position
    Joint PI
  • Email
    zhigangliu@fudan.edu.cn
  • Research Focus
    Gut-brain axis
Position Joint PI Professor
Phone Email zhigangliu@fudan.edu.cn
Educational background Research Focus Gut-brain axis
Work Experience

2026-Present, Professor, Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University, China;

2020- 2025  Professor of Food Science, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, China;

2020- 2021 Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, Deutsche Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE, Germany Institute of Human Nutrition), Germany;

2019-2020 Visiting Professor, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, USA;

2017-2020 Associate Professor of Food Science, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, China;

2015-2017 Assistant Professor of Food Science, College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, China;

2010-2015     Ph.D., Northwest A&F University, China, Food Science, China;

2013-2015 Joint Ph.D, University of Southern California, USA;

2006-2010    B.S., Northwest A&F University, Food Quality & Safety, China


Research Interests

Investigating the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis to elucidate how dietary patterns and functional food components/probiotics modulate gut microbial ecology and brain health. The research targets brain health challenges across the lifespan, specifically addressing early-life neurodevelopment (first 1000 days), stress-induced anxiety and depression, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.


Selected Publications

1. Ling Li#; Mengzhen Jia#; Cong Yang#; Yihang Zhao; Jun Hu; Yu Zhao; Xinyu Hu; Fangjie Ning; Chen Ding; Qingyuan Li; Jun Gong; Xiaoran Jia; Kun Xu; Yuhao Wang; Shuang Zhou; Lu Deng; Lin Shi; Xuhui Chen*; Xuebo Liu*; Zhigang Liu*. Gut microbial-derived indole-3-propionate improves cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease. Science Advances, 2025;11(48):eadw8410.
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adw8410.  

2. Cong Yang#; Jingxi Sun#; Ling Li#; Jin Zheng; Chuhan Wang; Yu Zhao; Duo Yun; Mengzhen Jia; Zhinan Wu; Hewei Liang; Wenxi Li; Tongyuan Hu; Rui Guo; Liang Xiao; Yuanqiang Zou*; Zhigang Liu*. Synbiotics of Lactobacillus suilingensis and inulin alleviates cognitive impairment via regulating gut microbiota indole-3-lactic acid metabolism in female AD mice. Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025;21(7):e70406.
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70406

3. Yihang Zhao#; Mengzhen Jia#; Chen Ding; Bingkun Bao; Hangqi Li; Jiabin Ma; Weixuan Dong; Rui Gao; Xuhui Chen; Jiao Chen; Xiaoshuang Dai; Yuanqiang Zou; Jun Hu*; Lin Shi*; Xuebo Liu*; Zhigang Liu*. Time-restricted feeding mitigates Alzheimer's disease-associated cognitive impairments via a B. pseudolongum- propionic acid-FFAR3 axis. iMeta, 2025; e70006.  
https://doi.org/10.1002/imt2.70006

4. Xiaoning Liu#; Xiang Li#; Bing Xia; Xin Jin; Qianhui Zou; Zhenhua Zeng; Weiyang Zhao; Shikai Yan; Ling Li; Shufen Yuan; Shancen Zhao; Xiaoshuang Dai; Fei Yin; Enrique Cadenas; Rui Hai Liu; Beita Zhao; Min Hou*; Zhigang Liu*; Xuebo Liu*. High-fiber diet mitigates maternal obesity-induced cognitive and social dysfunction in the offspring via gut-brain axis. Cell Metabolism, 2021; 33(5):923-938.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.02.002

5. Zhigang Liu*#; Xiaoshuang Dai#; Hongbo Zhang; Renjie Shi; Yan Hui; Xin Jin; Wentong Zhang;Luanfeng Wang;Qianxu Wang; Danna Wang; Jia Wang; Xintong Tan; Bo Ren; Xiaoning Liu; Tong Zhao; Jiamin Wang; Junru Pan; Tian Yuan; Chuanqi Chu; Lei Lan; Fei Yin; Enrique Cadenas; Lin Shi*; Shancen Zhao*; Xuebo Liu*. Gut microbiota mediates intermittent-fasting alleviation of diabetes-induced cognitive impairment. Nature Communications, 2020; 11(1):855.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14676-4