Education

2013-2017   Karolinska Institutet, Ph.D (Hökfelt Lab)

2008-2010   Harbin Institute of Technology, M.S.

2003-2007   Harbin Institute of Technology, B.E.

Experience

2025 to present Southern Medical University, Professor

2024-2025          Karolinska Institutet, Ernfors lab, Research Specialist

2017-2024          Karolinska Institutet, Ernfors lab, Postdoctoral Fellow

2010-2012          Karolinska Institutet, Hökfelt lab, Research Assistant

Research Introduction

Chronic pain affects about 25% of the population worldwide. There are no effective non-opioid drugs for chronic pain. Our lab focuses on the underlying mechanisms of chronic pain and development of new strategies for pain managing drugs.

Selected publications

1. Zhang MD^#, Kupari J, Su J, Magnusson KA, Hu Y, Calvo-Enrique L, Usoskin D, Albisetti GW, Ceder MM, Henrikssson K, Leavitt AD, Zeilhofer HU, Hökfelt T, Lagerström MC, Ernfors P*. Neural ensembles that encode nocifensive mechanical and heat pain in mouse spinal cord. Nature Neuroscience 2025, 28(5):1012-1023

2. Su J^#, Zhang MD, Kupari J, Kwak D, Picton L, Xu B, Hu Y, Gonzalez-Alvarez G, Usoskin D, Xu Z, EI Manira A, Holmdahl R, Ernfors P*. Persistent interferon signaling that causes sensory neuron plasticity and pain in arthritis. bioRxiv preprint 2025

3. Fatt MP^#, Zhang MD, Kupari J, Altınkök M, Yang Y, Hu Y, Svenningsson P, Ernfors P*. Morphine-responsive neurons that regulate mechanical antinociception. Science, 2024, 385(6712):eado6593

4. Zhang MD^#, Su J^#, Adori C, Cinquina V, Malenczyk K, Girach F, Peng C, Ernfors P, Löw P, Borgius L, Kiehn O, Watanabe M, Uhlén M, Mitsios N, Mulder J, Harkany T*, Hökfelt T*. Ca2⁺-binding protein NECAB2 facilitates inflammatory pain hypersensitivity. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2018, 128(9):3757-3768

5. Peng C^#, Li L, Zhang MD, Bengtsson Gonzales C, Parisien M, Belfer I, Usoskin D, Abdo H, Furlan A, Häring M, Lallemend F, Harkany T, Diatchenko L, Hökfelt T, Hjerling-Leffler J, Ernfors P*. miR-183 cluster scales mechanical pain sensitivity by regulating basal and neuropathic pain genes. Science. 2017, 356(6343):1168-1171

6. Zhang MD^#*, Barde S, Yang T, Lei B, Eriksson LI, Mathew JP, Andreska T, Akassoglou K, Harkany T, Hökfelt T*, Terrando N*. Orthopedic surgery modulates neuropeptides and BDNF expression at the spinal and hippocampal levels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016, 113(43):E6686-E6695

7. Zhang MD^#*, Barde S, Szodorai E, Josephson A, Mitsios N, Watanabe M, Attems J, Lubec G, Kovács GG, Uhlén M, Mulder J, Harkany T, Hökfelt T. Comparative anatomical distribution of neuronal calcium-binding protein (NECAB) 1 and -2 in rodent and human spinal cord. Brain Structure & Function. 2016, 221(7):3803-23

8. Tesoriero C^#, Codita A^#, Zhang MD^#, Cherninsky A, Karlsson H, Grassi-Zucconi G, Bertini G, Harkany T, Ljungberg K, Liljeström P, Hökfelt T*, Bentivoglio M, Kristensson K*. H1N1 influenza virus induces narcolepsy-like sleep disruption and targets sleep-wake regulatory neurons in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016, 113(3):E368-77

9. Zhang MD^#*, Tortoriello G, Hsueh B, Tomer R, Ye L, Mitsios N, Borgius L, Grant G, Kiehn O, Watanabe M, Uhlén M, Mulder J, Deisseroth K, Harkany T, Hökfelt T*. Neuronal calcium-binding proteins 1/2 localize to dorsal root ganglia and excitatory spinal neurons and are regulated by nerve injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014, 111(12):E1149-58

10. Shi TJ^#*, Zhang MD^#, Zeberg H, Nilsson J, Grünler J, Liu SX, Xiang Q, Persson J, Fried KJ, Catrina SB, Watanabe M, Arhem P, Brismar K, Hökfelt T*. Coenzyme Q10 prevents peripheral neuropathy and attenuates neuron loss in the db-/db- mouse, a type 2 diabetes model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013, 110(2):690-5