Zheng Research Group
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
University of Toronto
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
University of Toronto
The Zheng Research Group is at the forefront of innovation in radiopharmaceutical development, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment assessment of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Under the leadership of Dr. Chao Zheng, our lab combines groundbreaking research in radiochemistry, and quantitative PET imaging to push the boundaries of brain imaging science.
Our work centers on:
Discovery of Cutting-Edge Radiopharmaceuticals – We develop state-of-the-art PET radioligands, utilizing advanced Carbon-11 and Fluorine-18 labeling methodologies to capture previously inaccessible biochemical and phenotypic changes in the brain.
Novel PET Imaging Applications – We pioneer imaging methods that provide unparalleled insights into the living brain, bridging the gap between preclinical studies and clinical applications to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
As an interdisciplinary lab, we integrate diverse fields including radiochemistry, pharmacology, neuroscience, medicinal chemistry, and quantitative neuroimaging to tackle complex challenges in translational neuroscience. Students and researchers who join our team will gain hands-on experience in radiochemistry, PET neuroimaging, and in vivo studies, all within a cutting-edge preclinical and clinical research environment.
We used the clinically translatable tracer [18F]SynVesT-1 to comprehensively characterize synaptic density across the brain and spinal cord in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS. In parallel, we performed SV2A PET in patients with MS using the first clinically implemented SV2A radiotracer, [11C]UCB-J, providing cross-species validation of SV2A PET imaging as a biomarker of synaptic pathology.
Herein, a conceptually distinct alkene difunctionalization strategy is adopted in 18F-gem-difluoromethylene synthesis, enabling an iron-catalyzed three-component amino(radio)fluorination of α-fluoroalkenes to furnish unprotected β,β-difluoroamines and their 18F-labeled analogues. This work effectively broadens the toolkit for the construction of complex 18/19F-gem-difluoromethyl compounds.
ZHENG LAB
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry
250 College Street,
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M5T 1R8
AFFILIATIONS
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
University of Toronto