Dr. Wei Zou joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases as an Associate Professor in July 2025. He has more than two decades of extensive research experience on bone biology. His research was initially focused on understanding the mechanisms by which inflammatory factors such as LPS and TNF-α regulate osteoclast differentiation. Subsequently, he spent a great deal of effort and time studying the role that integrins and cytoskeletal proteins play in osteoclast bone-resorbing activity. In the past decade, Dr. Zou has incorporated the effects of the metabolic syndrome on the skeleton into his research efforts and recently discovered that Axsl2 not only regulates osteoclastogenesis, but also commonly affects glucose and lipid homeostasis as PPARƔ co-activator.
Consistent with recent evidence indicating that bone may be affected by the metabolic products of adipose tissue, his research has uncovered bone anabolic effects of germline fat depletion. These findings have prompted his ongoing project exploring the role that adiponectin-expressing cells play in the skeleton. Findings from his research have been published in prestigious scientific journals and served as the backbone of continuous funding of my collaborative research with Dr. Steve Teitelbaum (R01 DK111389: Teitelbaum, PI; Zou, Co-I; 07/11/2017 – 06/30/2022; Department of Defense: Teitelbaum, PI; Zou, Co-I; 02/01/2021 – 03/31/2025).
Dr. Zou’s current research interest also focuses on understanding the mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of bone diseases. Inflammation is typically associated with diminished skeletal mass. His recent observations challenge this notion, showing that systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to wild-type mice stimulates periosteal bone formation in long bones. He has partnered with Dr. Mbalaviele in submitting an R01 grant titled “Regulation of Bone by Pyroptosis” to investigate these mechanisms further.