Heping Zhou, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Biological Sciences

The courses that I have been teaching at Seton Hall University include Introduction to Biology, General Biology I, Forensic Biology, Biology Senior Seminar, Recombinant DNA Technology, Cancer Biology, Introduction to Bioinformatics, and Biology Research.

Our laboratory is focused on examining the regulatory mechanisms of mammalian innate immune function at molecular and cellular levels.  The innate immune system involves many cellular and molecular mediators and plays a critical role in the host's defense against invading pathogens.  However, uncontrolled or prolonged inflammation can produce detrimental effects in the host.  The activation of innate immune system, therefore, needs to be properly regulated. Our laboratory has been examining how mammalian innate immune function is affected by various prenatal and postnatal environmental factors, and most recent results have been published in J. of Neuroimmunology (2007) and Immunology Letters (2009).