Dr. Zhu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, with a joint appointment at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. He leads the Zhu Lab, which focuses on understanding how human pancreatic β-cells develop, mature, and function, with the long-term goal of improving cell-based therapies for type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Dr. Zhu’s research uses human stem cell models to study the biological processes that guide β-cell formation and identity. A major emphasis of his work is addressing key challenges that limit the effectiveness of stem-cell-derived islets, including inaccurate beta cell lineage progression and incomplete β-cell maturation. By integrating developmental biology with translational research, his laboratory aims to generate more functional and reliable β-cells for diabetes therapy.
Dr. Zhu completed his postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Diego, where he studied the molecular basis of human β-cell development and dysfunction in diabetes. His research has been supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health. He has authored peer-reviewed publications in leading journals in the fields of stem cell biology, developmental biology, and diabetes research.