BHI Plenary Seminar (Hybrid): Xiongwei Zhu, PhD – Case Western Reserve University

“Abnormal Mitochondrial Dynamics As a Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer’s Disease”

Date and Time: Thursday, April 16th, 2026. At 1.00 PM EST

Location: Medical Science Bldg., Room B-610, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07101.

Zoom: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/91320306423?pwd=Btm2x8QCooCohah6XJW7fqqoTlvvzM.1
Meeting ID: 913 2030 6423
Passcode: 041626

Speaker: Xiongwei Zhu, PhD
Professor of Pathology and Neurology
Clive R. Hamlin Ph.D. Designated Professorship in Pathology
Vice Chair of Graduate Education
Graduate Program Director,
Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies demonstrated that mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles characterized by a delicate balance of fission and fusion, a concept that has revolutionized our basic understanding of the regulation of mitochondrial structure and function, which has far-reaching significance in studies of health and disease. We found significant changes in the expression of mitochondrial fission and fusion proteins in AD brain. Both in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that mitochondrial dynamics was tipped towards fission and resulted in mitochondrial fragmentation and abnormal distribution in AD models, which likely contributes to mitochondrial and synaptic dysfunction as well as neuroinflammation in AD. Genetic and pharmaceutical methods to rescue mitochondrial morphology and distribution could effectively restore Aβ-induced mitochondrial function and alleviate synaptic dysfunction both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, we propose that abnormal mitochondrial dynamics negatively impacts all aspects of mitochondrial function, which causes synaptic dysfunction and neuronal dysfunction that is critical to AD pathogenesis. Therefore, abnormal mitochondrial dynamics appear to be an attractive therapeutic intervention target for AD. Learn more

Hosted by Dr. Ying Xu, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School