Chunni Zhu, PhD
BRI Microscopy Core Facilities Director, Associate Project Scientist
About
Dr. Chunni Zhu, PhD is the facility director of the Brain Research Institute Microscopy Core Facilities and an Associate Project Scientist in the Drug Discovery Lab in the Neurology department of DGSOM.
In the BRI Microscopy Core Facilities, Dr. Zhu oversees operations and services provided by the facility. Dr. Zhu has broad expertise in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and histology for both TEM and optical microscopy samples.
Dr. Zhu has a broad background in neuroscience, with specialized training and expertise in neurodegenerative disease models, preclinical trial management, rodent histology and pathology, and secondary data analysis. Her research focuses on preclinical drug trials using mouse models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD). As a senior member of the Drug Discovery Lab, Dr. Zhu plays a central role in research initiatives, particularly in leading the neuropathological analyses for multiple projects.
In addition to her research responsibilities, Dr. Zhu oversees in vivo drug administration and behavioral assessments for various studies. She is actively engaged in training and mentoring, having instructed numerous undergraduate and graduate students in histological techniques. She also supervises staff research associates and provides guidance to postdoctoral researchers working on in vivo mouse studies and neuropathology.