Dr. ZHOU Tao is the head of Laboratory of RNA Modification and Brain Function. He received his B.S. degree from Lanzhou University in 2008 and his Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences (supervised by Professor Hu Hailan) in 2014. He served as a Research Assistant Professor at ShanghaiTech University from 2015 to 2018. In December 2018, he joined the Institute of Brain Cognition and Brain Diseases, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences as a Principal Investigator, where he established his research group in the Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory. In March 2025, he jointed the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT) as an Associate Professor. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of RNA modification in regulating brain functions and diseases.

Mechanisms of RNA modification in regulating brain functions and diseases

1. Cuiting Wu#, Xiaoli Wu#, Min Wu#, Xidan Zhou#, Jie Tu, Bin Shen, Tao Zhou*. The m6A writer VIRMA regulates the developmental elimination of retinal astrocytes and retinal vascular integrity maintenance. Neural Regeneration Research. 2026 Jan 27. doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-25-00295. Epub ahead of print.
2. Kuan Li*, Chen Guo#, Xiaoli Wu#, Cuiting Wu#, Songfen Wu, Si Su, Min Wu, Xidan Zhou, Si Li, Yihui Cui*, and Tao Zhou*. "Enhanced Protein Synthesis and Hippocampus-Dependent Memory via Inhibition of YTHDF2-Mediated m6A mRNA Degradation". Adv Sci (Weinh). Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Dec;12(45):e14926. doi: 10.1002/advs.202514926.
3. Min Wu*, Xiaoli Wu#, Haifeng Sun#, Wen Wang, Leyi Zhang, Xia Liu, Yifan Zhang, Xinning Zhang, Jun Liu, Bin Shen*, Tao Zhou*. VIRMA-mediated m6A modification regulates forebrain formation through facilitating ribosome biogenesis. Science Advances. 2025 Jun 27;11(26):eadq9643.
4. Xiaoli Wu, Cuiting Wu, Tao Zhou*. "No significant change of N6-methyladenosine modification landscape in mouse brain after morphine exposure". Brain Behav. 2024 jan;14(1):e3350.
5. Ning C, Wu X, Zhao X, Lu Z, Yao X, Zhou T, Yi L, Sun Y, Wu S, Liu Z, Huang X, Gao L, Liu J. "Epigenomic landscapes during prefrontal cortex development and aging in rhesus". Natl Sci Rev. 2024 Jun 18;11(8):nwae213.
6. Xinli Xu, Shuidiao Zheng, Jiayan Ren, Zixuan Li, Jinyan Li, Zhibin Xu, Feng Yuan, Qixing Yang, Alexander V Margetts, Tate A Pollock, Samara J Vilca, Canyu Yang, Gaowei Chen, Peilei Shen, Shupeng Li, Jianxun Xia, Chuyun Chen, Tao Zhou, Yingjie Zhu, Luis M Tuesta, Liping Wang, Paul J Kenny, Xin-an Liu, Zuxin Chen. "Hypothalamic CRF neurons facilitate brain reward function". Current Biology. Volume 34, Issue 2,2024, P389-402.e5.
7. Xuelong Yao#, Zongyang Lu#, Zhanying Feng#, Lei Gao#, Xin Zhou, Min Li, Suijuan Zhong, Qian Wu, Zhenbo Liu, Haofeng Zhang, Zeyuan Liu, Lizhi Yi, Tao Zhou, Xudong Zhao, Jun Zhang, Yong Wang, Xingxu Huang, Xiaoqun Wang, Jiang Liu. "Comparison of chromatin accessibility landscapes during early development of prefrontal cortex between rhesus macaque and human". Nat Commun. 2022 Jul 6;13(1):3883.
8. Lei Zhang*, Yanyong Cheng, Zhenyu Xue; Jingjie Li, Niming Wu, Jia Yan, Jie Wang; Chao Wang, Weidong Chen, Tao Zhou, Zilong Qiu*, Hong Jiang*. "Sevoflurane impairs m6A-mediated mRNA translation and leads to fine motor and cognitive deficits". Cell Biol Toxicol. 2022 Apr;38(2):347-369. 
9. Hailing Shi#,Xuliang Zhang#, Yi-Lan Weng#, Zongyang Lu,Yaing Liu.Zhike Lu, Jianan Li, Piliang Hao, Yu Zhang, Feng Zhang, You Wu, Jary Y Delgado, Yijing Su, Meera Patel, Xiaohua Cao, Bin Shen.Xingxu Huang, Guo-li Ming, Xiaoxi Zhuang, Hongjun Song*, ChuanHe*, Tao Zhou*."m6A facilitates hippocampus-dependent learning and memory through YTHDF1", Nature 2018,563:249-253.
10. Lan A. Roundtree, Guan-Zheng Luo, Ziiie Zhang, Xiao Wang, TaoZhou, Yiqiang Cui, Jiahao Sha, Xingxu Huang, Laura Guerrero, PhilXie, Emily He, Bin Shen, Chuan He*."YTHDC1 mediates nuclearexport of N6-methyladenosine methylated mRNAs". eLife2017:6:e31311.
11. Jianbo Xiu#, Qi Zhang#, Tao Zhou, Tingting Zhou, Yang Chen, HailanHu*. "Visualizing an emotional valence map in the limbic forebrain by TAI-FISH". Nature Neuroscience 2014,17(11):1552-1559.
12. Kun Li#, Tao Zhou#, Lujian Liao, Zhongfei Yang, Catherine Wong. Fritz Henn, Roberto Malinow, John R. Yates lll, Hailan Hu*."CaMKlin Lateral Habenula Mediates Core Symptoms of Depression". Science 2013,341(6149):1016-20.

Representative achievements include a total of 12 SCI papers published and 9 patents authorized. Awards received include the Shanghai Young Science and Technology Star and the Heng Yuan Xiang Talent Award First Prize. As a key member of the team, participated in the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Key R&D Program "Developmental Programming and Its Metabolic Regulation" project, the Guangdong Provincial Key R&D Program "Greater Bay Area Multi-Species Animal Model Technology R&D Platform for Brain Diseases," the Shenzhen Peacock Team Project "Parkinson’s Disease Novel Targeted Polypeptide Drug R&D Innovation Team," and the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission Key Laboratory Project—Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction. As the principal investigator, led multiple national and local projects, including the National Key R&D Program "Strategic Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation" Key Project, the National Natural Science Foundation Joint Fund Key Support Project, the National Excellent Young Scientist Fund, the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation Outstanding Young Scientist Fund, the Shanghai Science and Technology Talent Project, and the National Natural Science Foundation Youth Fund. Supervised 1 doctoral graduate and 2 master's graduate (including jointly supervised students).