Self-introduction

Qionghua Zhu obtained her Ph.D degree from Humboldt University and joined Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine as Postdoctoral researcher in 2017. In 2019, she joined the Southern University of Science and Technology. Her reserch interests primarily focus on the cancer evolution and tumor heterogeneity. 

Research Interests：

◆Cancer evolution and tumor heterogeneity

◆Transcriptional regulation

◆Single cell omics

Professional Experience：

 ◆2025-Present Research Associate Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology

◆ 2020-2025 Research Assistant Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology

◆ 2019-2020 Senior Researcher Southern University of Science and Technology

◆ 2016-2019 Postdoctoral researcher Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine

Selected Publication： 

(#co-first authors, *corresponding author) 

1. Sun Z#, Wen X#, Li Y, Xie X, Dong P, Shu Y, Tian S, Yang J, Lin Y, Wang M, Jiang F, Zhu Q, Cui H, Zhai J, Hu Y, Fang L*, Chen W*. Systematic characterization of the composition and dynamics of processing body-associated mRNAs. Nat Commun 16, 9867 (2025).

2. Chen R, Shi X, Yao X, Gao T, Huang G, Ning D, Cao Z, Xu Y, Liang W, Tian SZ, Zhu Q, Fang L, Zheng M, Hu Y, Cui H*, Chen W*. Specific multivalent molecules boost CRISPR-mediated transcriptional activation. Nat Commun. 2024 Aug 22;15(1):7222.

3. Fang L#*, Zhang L#, Wang M#, He Y, Yang J, Huang Z, Tan Y, Fang K, Li J, Sun Z, Li Y, Tang Y, Liang W, Cui H, Zhu Q, Wu Z, Li Y, Hu Y, Chen W*. Pooled CRISPR Screening Identifies P-Bodies as Repressors of Cancer Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Cancer Res. 2024 Mar 4;84(5):659-674.

4. Zhu Q#*, Zhao X#, Zhang Y#, Li Y#, Liu S#, Han J, Sun Z, Wang C, Deng D, Wang S, Tang Y, Huang Y, Jiang S, Tian C, Chen X, Yuan Y, Li Z, Yang T, Lai T, Liu Y, Yang W, Zou X, Zhang M, Cui H, Liu C, Jin X, Hu Y, Chen A, Xu X, Li G, Hou Y, Liu L*, Liu S*, Fang L*, Chen W*, Wu L*. Single cell multi-omics reveal intra-cell-line heterogeneity across human cancer cell lines. Nat Commun. 2023 Dec 9;14(1):8170. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43991-9. PMID: 38071219; PMCID: PMC10710513.

5.  Yi H, He Y, Zhu Q, Fang L. RUNX Proteins as Epigenetic Modulators in Cancer. Cells. 2022 Nov 20;11(22):3687.

6. Cui H, Yi H, Bao H, Tan Y, Tian C, Shi X, Gan D, Zhang B, Liang W, Chen R, Zhu Q, Fang L, Gao X, Huang H, Tian R, Sperling SR, Hu Y, Chen W. The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling factor DPF3 regulates metastasis of ccRCC by modulating TGF-β signaling. Nat Commun. 2022 Aug 9;13(1):4680.

7. Zhao T, Sun Y, Zhu Q, Li X, Baghaee M, Wang Y, Yuan H*. A contraction-reaction-diffusion model for circular pattern formation in embryogenesis. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. 2021. 157.

8. Fang L#*, Li G#, Sun Z, Zhu Q, Cui H, Li Y, Zhang J, Liang W, Wei W, Hu Y, Chen W*. CASB: A concanavalin A-based sample barcoding strategy for single-cell sequencing. Mol Syst Biol, 2021 Apr;17(4):e10060.

9. Yi H#, Li G#, Long Y, Liang W, Cui H, Zhang B, Tan Y, Li Y, Shen L, Deng D, Tang Y, Mao, C, Tian S, Cai Y, Zhu Q, Hu Y*, Chen W*, Fang L*. Integrative multi-omics analysis of a colon cancer cell line with heterogeneous Wnt activity revealed RUNX2 as an epigenetic regulator of EMT. Oncogene, 2020. 39(28): p. 5152-5164.

10. Fang L#*, Wang W#, Li G#, Zhang L, Li J, Gan D, Yang J, Tang Y, Ding Z, Zhang M, Zhang W, Deng D, Song Z, Zhu Q, Cui H, Hu Y, Chen W*. CIGAR-seq, a CRISPR/Cas-based method for unbiased screening of novel mRNA modification regulators. Mol Syst Biol. 2020 Nov;16(11):e10025.

11. Praktiknjo S#,*, Obermayer B#, Zhu Q#, Fang L, Liu H, Quinn H, Stoeckius M, Kocks C, Birchmeier W*, Rajewsky N*. Tracing tumorigenesis in a solid tumor model at single-cell resolution. Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 20;11(1):991.

12.  Zhu Q#, Fang L#, Heuberger J, Kranz A, Schipper J, Scheckenbach K, Vidal RO, Sunaga-Franze DY, Müller M, Wulf-Goldenberg A, Sauer S, Birchmeier W. The Wnt-driven Mll1 Epigenome Regulates Salivary Gland and Head and Neck Cancer. Cell reports. 2019 Jan 26: 415–428.

13. Ma Y#, Peng Y#, Zhu Q#, Gao A#, Chao B, He Q, Li J, Hu Y, Zhou Y. CHOP activator LGH00168 induces necroptosis via reactive oxygen species-induced ER stress and NF-κB inhibition in A549 lung cancer cells. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica. 2016 Sep;37(10):1381-1390.

14. Fang L, Zhu Q, Neuenschwander M, Specker E, Wulf-Goldenberg A, Weis WI, von Kries JP, Birchmeier W. A small-molecule antagonist of the β-catenin/TCF4 interaction blocks the self-renewal of cancer stem cells and suppresses tumorigenesis. Cancer Research. 2016 Feb 15;76(4):891-901.

15. Wend P, Fang L, Zhu Q, Schipper JH, Loddenkemper C, Kosel F, Brinkmann V, Eckert K, Hindersin S, Holland JD, Lehr S, Kahn M, Ziebold U, Birchmeier W. Wnt/β-catenin signalling induces MLL to create epigenetic changes in salivary gland tumours. EMBO J. 2013 Jul 17;32(14):1977-89.