Zhongcheng Mei, MD

2007-2012    M.D. Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University

2012-2015    M.S. The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University

2015-2018    Surgical Resident, Sun Yat-sen University Affiliated Donghua Hospital

2018-2018    Attending Surgeon, Sun Yat-sen University Affiliated Donghua Hospital

2018-2020    Research Associate, Department of Surgery, University of Virginia

2020-2023    Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Dr. Zhongcheng Mei is a surgical researcher focusing on lung transplantation immunology. His research has unveiled how eosinophils restrain CD8+ T cells and affect Th1/Tfh differentiation in lung alloimmunity, providing new insights into mechanisms that promote graft acceptance and long-term graft survival.

A pivotal aspect of Dr. Mei’s work is his revelation that stress-induced eosinophil activation contributes to post-operative morbidity and mortality after lung resection. This research demonstrates that stress-induced eosinophil activation leads to increased post-operative complications by producing inducible NOS. This finding elucidates the mechanisms by which myeloid cells, particularly eosinophils, exacerbate surgical outcomes, emphasizing the significant impact of stress on post-surgical morbidity and mortality.

Lung Transplantation; Eosinophils; Transplant Immunology; CD8+ T Cells; CD4+ T cells; Immune Regulation; Myeloid Cells; Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS); Graft Acceptance; Tolerance Maintenance; Lung Resection.

1. Mei Z, Khalil M, Guo Y, Li D, Banerjee A, Taheri M, et al. Stress-Induced Eosinophil Activation Contributes to Post-Operative Morbidity and Mortality after Lung Resection. Science Translational Medicine. 2024 Aug; Vol 16, Issue 761.
2. Mei Z, Khalil M, Guo Y, Li D, Banerjee A, Terada Y, et al. Eosinophils restrain humoral alloimmunity after lung transplantation. JCI Insight. 2024 Feb; 9(3): e168911. PMCID: PMC10967387
3. Mei Z, Taheri M, Li W, Gelman AE, Kreisel D, Jacobsen EA, et al. A Simple Cuff Technique for Murine Left Lung Transplantation. J Vis Exp. 2024 Jan 26:(203). Doi: 10.3791/65979. PMID: 38345240
4. Guo Y, Mei Z, Li D, Banerjee A, Khalil M, Burke A, et al. Ischemia reperfusion injury facilitates lung allograft acceptance through IL-33-mediated activation of donor-derived IL-5 producing group 2 innate lymphoid cells. Am J Transplant. 2022 Aug;22(8):1963-1975. PMCID: PMC9357103.
5. Li L, Shirkey MW, Zhang T, Piao W, Li X, Zhao J, Mei Z, et al. Lymph node fibroblastic reticular cells preserve a tolerogenic niche in allograft transplantation through laminin α4. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2022 Jul;132(13): e156994. PMCID: PMC9246384.