Yi Zhu, Ph.D.

Research

Dr. Yi Zhu’s research focuses on the biological mechanisms of cellular senescence and its role in aging and age-related diseases, particularly neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders. Her work integrates molecular biology, transcriptomics, and preclinical models to investigate how senescent cells contribute to tissue dysfunction and chronic inflammation. She is best known for her contributions to the discovery of senolytics—small molecules that selectively eliminate senescent cells—which has opened new avenues for therapeutic intervention in aging and degenerative diseases. Dr. Zhu’s expertise spans cellular and integrative physiology, neuroinflammation, and translational geroscience, with a strong track record of NIH funding, high-impact publications, and innovation in senescence-targeted therapies.

Awards & Accomplishments

Among her most significant contributions is the discovery of the first generation of senolytics in 2015, which demonstrated strong translational potential in preclinical models for alleviating age-associated dysfunction. She holds 16 international patents related to senolytic drug development and has a strong record of NIH and foundation grant support. Dr. Zhu has published extensively in high-impact journals, serving as both first and corresponding author on numerous influential studies.

Lab Members

	Junewoo Na Research Associate
	Xinlei Huang Research Associate
	James Zhang

Publications

1. Zhu Y, Tchkonia T, Pirtskhalava T, Gower AC, Ding H, Giorgadze N, Palmer AK, Ikeno Y, Hubbard GB, Lenburg M, O’Hara SP, LaRusso NF, Miller JD, Roos CM, Verzosa GC, LeBrasseur NK, Wren JD, Farr JN, Khosla S, Stout MB, McGowan SJ, Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg H, Gurkar AU, Zhao J, Colangelo D, Dorronsoro A, Ling YY, Barghouthy AS, Navarro DC, Sano T, Robbins PD, Niedernhofer LJ, Kirkland JL. The Achilles’ heel of senescent cells: from transcriptome to senolytic drugs. Aging Cell. 2015 Aug; 14 (4):644-58 Epub 2015 Apr 22.

2. Zhu Y, Tchkonia T, Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg H, Dai HM, Ling YY, Stout MB, Pirtskhalava T, Giorgadze N, Johnson KO, Giles CB, Wren JD, Niedernhofer LJ, Robbins PD, Kirkland JL. Identification of a novel senolytic agent, navitoclax, targeting the Bcl-2 family of anti- apoptotic factors. Aging Cell. 2016 Jun; 15 (3):428-35 Epub 2016 Mar 18

3. Zhu Y, Doornebal EJ, Pirtskhalava T, Giorgadze N, Wentworth M, Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg H, Niedernhofer LJ, Robbins PD, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL. New agents that target senescent cells: the flavone, fisetin, and the BCL-XL inhibitors, A1331852 and A1155463. Aging (Albany NY). 2017 Mar 8; 9 (3):955-963

4. Yousefzadeh MJ, Zhu Y#, McGowan SJ, Angelini L, Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg H, Xu M, Ling YY, Melos KI, Pirtskhalava T, Inman CL, McGuckian C, Wade EA, Kato JI, Grassi D, Wentworth M, Burd CE, Arriaga EA, Ladiges WL, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL, Robbins PD, Niedernhofer
LJ. Fisetin is a senotherapeutic that extends health and lifespan.EBioMedicine. 2018 Oct; 36:18-28 Epub 2018 Sept 2

5. Ogrodnik M, Zhu Y#, Langhi LGP, Tchkonia T, Kruger P, Fielder E, Victorelli S, Ruswhandi RA, Giorgadze N, Pirtskhalava T, Podgorni O, Enikolopov G, Johnson KO, Xu M, Inman C, Palmer AK, Schafer M, Weigl M, Ikeno Y, Burns TC, Passos JF, von Zglinicki T, Kirkland JL, Jurk D. Obesity-Induced Cellular Senescence Drives Anxiety and Impairs Neurogenesis. Cell Metab. 2019 May 7; 29 (5):1061-1077.e8 Epub 2019 Jan 03

6. Palmer AK, Xu M, Zhu Y#, Pirtskhalava T, Weivoda MM, Hachfeld CM, Prata LG, van Dijk TH, Verkade E, Casaclang-Verzosa G, Johnson KO, Cubro H, Doornebal EJ, Ogrodnik M, Jurk D, Jensen MD, Chini EN, Miller JD, Matveyenko A, Stout MB, Schafer MJ, White TA, Hickson LJ, Demaria M, Garovic V, Grande J, Arriaga EA, Kuipers F, von Zglinicki T, LeBrasseur NK, Campisi J, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL. Targeting senescent cells alleviates obesity-induced
metabolic dysfunction. Aging Cell. 2019 Jun; 18 (3):e12950 Epub 2019 Mar 25

7. Hickson LJ, Langhi Prata LGP#, Bobart SA, Evans TK, Giorgadze N, Hashmi SK, Herrmann SM, Jensen MD, Jia Q, Jordan KL, Kellogg TA, Khosla S, Koerber DM, Lagnado AB, Lawson DK, LeBrasseur NK, Lerman LO, McDonald KM, McKenzie TJ, Passos JF, Pignolo RJ, Pirtskhalava T, Saadiq IM, Schaefer KK, Textor SC, Victorelli SG, Volkman TL, Xue A, Wentworth MA, Wissler Gerdes EO, Allison DB, Dickinson SL, Ejima K, Atkinson EJ, Lenburg M, Zhu Y, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL. Corrigendum to ‘Senolytics decrease senescent cells in humans: Preliminary report from a clinical trial of Dasatinib plus Quercetin in individuals with diabetic kidney disease’ EBioMedicine 47 (2019) 446-456. EBioMedicine. 2020 Feb; 52:102595 Epub 2020 Jan 23

8. Yousefzadeh MJ#, Flores RR#, Zhu Y, Schmiechen ZC, Brooks RW, Trussoni CE, Cui Y, Angelini L, Lee KA, McGowan SJ, Burrack AL, Wang D, Dong Q, Lu A, Sano T, O’Kelly RD, McGuckian CA, Kato JI, Bank MP, Wade EA, Pillai SPS, Klug J, Ladiges WC, Burd CE, Lewis SE, LaRusso NF, Vo NV, Wang Y, Kelley EE, Huard J, Stromnes IM, Robbins PD, Niedernhofer LJ. An aged immune system drives senescence and ageing of solid organs.
Nature. 2021 Jun; 594 (7861):100-105 Epub 2021 May 12

9. Zhu Y, Anastasiadis ZP, Espindola Netto JM, Evans T, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL. Past and Future Directions for Research on Cellular Senescence. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2024 Feb 1; 14 (2) Epub 2024 Feb 01

10. Camell CD#, Yousefzadeh MJ#, Zhu Y#, Prata LGPL#, Huggins MA, Pierson M, Zhang L, O’Kelly RD, Pirtskhalava T, Xun P, Ejima K, Xue A, Tripathi U, Espindola-Netto JM, Giorgadze N, Atkinson EJ, Inman CL, Johnson KO, Cholensky SH, Carlson TW, LeBrasseur NK, Khosla S, O’Sullivan MG, Allison DB, Jameson SC, Meves A, Li M, Prakash YS, Chiarella SE, Hamilton SE, Tchkonia T, Niedernhofer LJ, Kirkland JL, Robbins PD. Senolytics reduce coronavirus-related mortality in old mice. Science. 2021 Jul 16; 373 (6552) Epub 2021 June 08

11. Tripathi U, Chaib S, Gerdes EOW, Hogan KA, Zhu Y*. Development of a novel senolytic by precise disruption of FOXO4-p53 complex. EBioMedicine 2021 Dec; 74:103693 Epub 2021 Nov 09

12. Zhu Y*, Prata LGPL, Gerdes EOW, Netto JME, Pirtskhalava T, Giorgadze N, Tripathi U, Inman CL, Johnson KO, Xue A, Palmer AK, Chen T, Schaefer K, Justice JN, Nambiar AM, Musi N, Kritchevsky SB, Chen J, Khosla S, Jurk D, Schafer MJ, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL*. Orally- active, clinically-translatable senolytics restore alpha-Klotho in mice and humans. EBioMedicine. 2022 Mar; 77:103912 Epub 2022 Mar 13.

13. Zhang L, Pitcher LE, Yousefzadeh MJ, Niedernhofer LJ, Robbins PD, Zhu Y*. Cellular senescence: a key therapeutic target in aging and diseases. J Clin Invest. 2022 Aug 1; 132(15)

14. Zhang X, Suda M, Zhu Y*. Senolytics combat COVID-19 in aging. Nat Aging 2023 Jul; 3 (7):762-763

* Indicates the corresponding author
# Indicates the authors contributed equally.