Zhengyu Cao

Professor

China Pharmaceutical University

Short Biography

Dr. Cao Zhengyu is a Professor at China Pharmaceutical University. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, under the mentorship of Academicians Yu Dequan and Liang Xiaotian. Starting 2004, he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Georgia, as a Research Assistant Professor at Creighton University, and as a Project Scientist at the University of California, Davis. Starting 2014, he worked in China Pharmaceutical University as a full professor. His research majorly focused on ion channel pharmacology/toxicology and drug development targeting ion channels. He has published over 140 research papers in journals such as Nature Communications, Science Signaling, Cell Chemical Biology, Environmental Health Perspectives, British Journal of Pharmacology, eLife, JMC, and Molecular Pharmacology. He holds 40 authorized patents, with one U.S. patent licensed to Sage Therapeutics; the resulting molecule (Brexanolone) was launched in the U.S. in 2019 for the treatment of postpartum depression. Two patents have been licensed to Jiangsu Kangsier Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., with kilogram-scale production processes completed. In collaboration with Langlai Technology and Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. QR060127 and SZ1108 have completed Phase I clinical trials respectively. Couple of PCC candidates have been developed for anxiety and chronic kidney disease and are currently under negotiation for licensing. He has led major projects under the Ministry of Science and Technology's for New Drug Development, five projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and over 40 industry–academia collaborative projects. Dr. Cao served as Associate Editor for NeuroToxicology (2019–2020), the official journal of the International Neurotoxicology Association, for Frontiers in Pharmacology (Ethnopharmacology) (2022–present) and for Pharmaceuticals (2025-).

Presentation Topic: TRPV3 And Inflammatory Diseases-From Basic Research To Drug Discovery

• TRPV3 regulates barrier integrity and inflammation in the skin, pulmonary, and intestinal tracts

• TRPV3 acts as a sensor for inflammatory mediators

• Targeting TRPV3 shows therapeutic efficacy for skin, pulmonary, and intestinal inflammatory diseases