Zengtao Wang is the Molecular Pharmacology Highlighted Trainee Author November 2023 issue. He is a pre-doctoral trainee in Pharmaceutics at the University of Minnesota under the mentorship of Dr. Karunya K. Kandimalla. The Molecular Pharmacology article that earned his selection as a Highlighted Trainee Author is titled "Amyloid-Beta Peptides 40 and 42 Employ Distinct Molecular Pathways for Cell Entry and Intracellular Transit at the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Endothelium" and is available at https://doi.org/10.1124/molpharm.123.000670.

Mr. Wang’s areas of research are Alzheimer’s disease (AD), blood-brain barrier (BBB), pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. AD is characterized by abnormal accumulation of toxic amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) in plasma and the brain. Both cerebrovascular dysfunction and brain insulin resistance are prevalent in AD patients, but their mechanistic connection and role in disease pathogenesis are only partially understood. His PhD dissertation aims to determine Aβ protein trafficking and accumulation kinetics at the BBB and identify underlying biological mechanisms in AD. In addition, the presence of potential synergism between Aβ exposure and insulin signaling disruption is being investigated, and its impact on BBB function is elucidated.

The anticipated impact of Mr. Wang’s research is expected to identify novel targets for the diagnosis and treatment of BBB dysfunction in AD by understanding the mechanistic connections among Aβ accumulation, BBB dysfunction, and insulin resistance.

Outside the lab, Zengtao enjoys cooking, traveling with his friends and playing table tennis. He also likes to watch sci-fi television series.