He has achieved a series of innovative research results on the central plasticity of nociceptive transmission and its synaptic molecular mechanism, as well as the research of new analgesic drugs targeting AC1. He has published more than 300 papers in international journals such as Nature, Science, Neuron, Nature communication, Cell Reports, J Neurosci, etc., and more than 30 reviews. He holds more than 20 domestic and foreign patents related to the development of new drugs.

1) Mechanisms of central synaptic plasticity in the regulation of chronic pain
We will focus on analyzing the neuromodulatory mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system, including pre- and postsynaptic long-range potentiation (LTP) and long range depression (LTD), to find key molecular targets for the development of new types of analgesic drugs for chronic pain.
(2) Neuromodulation mechanism of negative emotions associated with chronic pain
To analyze the central nervous mechanism of depression, anxiety, fear and other negative emotions caused by chronic pain, including synaptic plasticity and neural circuit conduction mechanism, to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of chronic pain-induced psychiatric disorders, and to explore the development of effective clinical interventions and therapeutic means.

1. 2013 China-Canada Major Collaboration Program, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
2. 2009 Major International Collaboration Program of NSFC
3. Member of the Overseas Scholar Expert Jury of CAS, and one of the chairpersons of the Overseas Jury of NSFC.
4. Undertook the 2018 NSF Major Research Program - Neural Circuitry Underpinning Emotion and Memory.
5. hosted 18 research grants from NIH, totaling 10 million dollars.

He has published more than 300 research papers and 30 reviews in international refereed journals such as Nature, Science, Neuron, Nature Neuroscience, Nature Communications, etc., which have been cited more than 27,000 times, with H-index of 90 and i10 index of 253.

The main innovations are as follows:

1. Discovered silent synapses in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and their critical role in chronic pain transmission;

2. Revealed for the first time the important role played by NMDA receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in chronic pain;

3. The discovery that presynaptic and postsynaptic long-duration enhancement of LTP in ACC neurons is a key molecular mechanism for chronic pain and anxiety;

4. Discovery of adenylate cyclase isoform 1 (ACI) as a key point molecule regulating LTP in the ACC, which can be used as a drug target for the treatment of chronic pain. the AC1 inhibitor, NB001, significantly inhibited chronic pain with few side effects;

5. The direct downward projection pathway from ACC to the spinal cord was revealed for the first time, providing direct evidence for the involvement of ACC in the facilitation of spinal excitatory transmission under chronic pain conditions

Fellow of the Royal Canadian Academy of Sciences (2009);
Ranked in the top three of “China's Highly Cited Scholars List” in the field of neuroscience for many consecutive years;
Visiting Professor at several internationally renowned universities, such as University of Heidelberg, Germany, Seoul National University, Kyushu University, Japan and Fudan University.

Team Leader: Min Zhuo

Team members: Hao Shun, Xu Bo, Hong Shanshan, Wang Minxian, Ma Yujie, Wan Jinjin

Dr. Min Zhuo's team has been engaged in the study of the relationship between synaptic plasticity and chronic pain and emotion regulation, and is an international leader in this field with a large number of high-level research papers published. The group has a complete platform of animal morphological and functional research equipment, a complete transgenic animal system, solid academic level of the team members, and has established long-term and stable cooperative relationships with many universities and research institutes at home and abroad. At present, the team has very good relationships with Xi'an Jiaotong University, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT), Peking University, Sun Yat-sen University, and other well-known universities or Research units and institutes have very close cooperation, in addition, with the People's Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing 301, Guangzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital No. 1 and other clinical departments also maintain a long-term cooperative relationship, to provide hardware and software support for the smooth progress of the subject.

Team Research Direction:

Research Direction I: Synaptic mechanisms of chronic pain and emotion interaction.

Research Direction 2: Loop mechanisms of the interaction between chronic pain and emotion.

Research Direction 3: Effects of aging on chronic pain.