A/Prof. Zhang Yongliang
Associate Professor & Director, LSI Immunology Programme and Immunology Translational Research Programme.
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Tel: +65-6516-6407
Email: miczy@nus.edu.sg

What are your present research interests?

My research explores cellular signaling in cancer and immunity, with a particular focus on dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs, also known as MAPK phosphatases) and their roles in regulating immunity responses and cancer development. Our long-term goal is to translate discoveries in cell signaling into novel therapeutic strategies for conditions ranging from infectious disease to cancer.

Do you have a distinctive viewpoint to your research?

Cellular signaling underlies key aspects of cell life, including proliferation, growth, function and death. A central regulatory mechanism in these processes is the reversible switch between phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, orchestrated by kinases and phosphatases. As critical enzymes within this system, DUSPs have emerged as promising therapeutic targets, and defining their functions is essential for the development of DUSP-based therapies.

What do you see as your future research directions?

Leveraging our discoveries in DUSP-mediated cellular signaling, my long-term research goal is to target these proteins for the development novel therapies against human diseases.

Does your laboratory have a particularly strong research expertise?

Dissecting signalling cascades in cellular processes, such as immune activation and cancer development, and developing and utilizing animal disease models to elucidate the roles of signaling molecules in disease progression.

Recent Publications

1. Prawira A., Xu H., Mei Y. Leow W. Q., Weerasooriya M., Otsuka M., Reolo M. J. Y., Nasir J. M., Abdullah L. B., Wu J., Chen Z., Rahbari M., Hazirah S. N., Wasser M., Chun g A., Goh B. K. P., Chow P. K. H., Albani S., Lee J., Lim T. K. H., Zhai W., Dan Y. Y., Goh G., Tai D., DasGupta R., Zhang Y., Heikenwalder M., Liu H., Chen J. , and Chew V. 2025. Targeting Treg-fibroblast interaction to enhance immunotherapy in steatotic liver disease-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut. gutjnl-2025-335084. http://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2025-335084.
2. Morgan D., Zhang B., Fidan K., Pan W., Vaiyapuri T. S., Raju A., Hei D., See T. Y., Sari I. N., Chan J.W., Majee P., Balachander A., Yu J., Wong A.H., Mok M.M.H., Foo S.H., Tang W.L., Ang N., Tan I., Peng Y. F., Jaynes P., Xu S., Ghosh G., Shahabi S., Jeyasekharan A. D., Ikawa M., Zhang Y., Howland S. W., Lau M. C., Wang V. Y., Lam K. P., and Tergaonkar V. 2025. The transcriptional complex p52-ETS1 is essential for germinal center formation. Nat. Immun. 26 (9): 1553-1566. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-025-02236-1
3. Li H., Zhang Y.* and H.Y. Peh.* 2025. Interferon regulatory factor 3 beyond innate immunity: regulation of obesity and metabolic disorders. Sem. In Immunology. 78: 101948. (Co-corresponding author)
4. Png C.W., Weerasooriya M., Li H., Hou X., Teo F.Y., Huang S., Zheng S., Weng F.Y.K., Rethnam M., Chia G., Sobota R.M., Chong C.S., Tan K.K., and Zhang Y. 2024. DUSP6 regulates Notch1 signaling in colorectal cancer. Nature Communications. 15:10087. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54383-y
5. Jiao H., James S.J., Png C.W., Cui C., Heng Li H., Li L., Chia W.N., Min N., Li W., Claser C., Rénia L., Wang H., Chen M. I., Chu J.J.H., Tan K.S.W., Deng Y., and Zhang Y. 2024. DUSP4 modulates RIG-I- and STING-mediated IRF3-type I IFN response. 2024. Cell Death & Differentiation. 31 (3): 280-291. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-024-01269-7
6. Chen S. Hu Z., Tang J., Zhu H., Zheng Y., Xiao J., Xu Y., Wang Y., Luo Y., Mo X., Wu Y., Guo J., Zhang Y. *, and Luo H. * 2024.High temperature and humidity in the environment disrupt bile acid metabolism, the gut microbiome, and GLP-1 secretion in mice. Communications Biology. 7 (1):465. (* Co-corresponding author). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06158-w
7. Wojciech L., Png C.W., Koh E., Kioh D.Y.Q., Deng L., Wang Z., Wu L., Hamidinia M., Tung D.W.H., Zhang G., Pettersson S., Chan E.C.Y., Zhang Y., Tan K.S.W., and Gascoigne N.R.J. 2023. A tryptophan metabolite made by a microbiome eukaryote induces pro-inflammatory T cells. EMBO J. 42 (21): e112963. https://doi.org.10.15252/embj.2022112963
8. Png C. W., Lee W. J.J., Chua S. J., Zhu F., Yeoh K. G., and Zhang Y. 2022. Mucosal microbiome associates with progression to gastric cancer. Theranostics. 12 (1): 48-58. https://www.thno.org/v12p0048.
9. Tang P., Virtue S., Goie J.Y.G., Png C.W., Guo J., Li Y, Jiao H., Chua Y.L., Campbell M., Moreno-Navarrete J.M., Shabbir A., Fernández-Real J.M., Gasser S., Kemeny D.M., Yang H., Vidal-Puig A., and Zhang Y. 2021. Regulation of adipogenic differentiation and adipose tissue inflammation by interferon regulatory factor 3. Cell Death & Differentiation. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-021-00798-9
10. Low H.B., Wong Z. L., Wu B., Kong L. R., Png C. W., Cho Y., Li C., Xiao F., Xin X., Yang H., Low J. M., Lee F. Y. X., Tan I. B. H., Dasgupta R., Shen H., Schwarz H., Gascoigne N. R. J., Goh B. C., Xu X., and Zhang Y. 2021. DUSP16 promotes cancer resistance to chemotherapy through regulation of mitochondria-mediated cell death. Nature Communications. 12: 2284. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22638-7.