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 (Accepted).
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.