2013年入选云南省高端科技人才引进计划,从事肿瘤干细胞、动物模型等相关研究，已在Nature Cell Biology、Developmental Cell、JCI、Cancer Researc、Oncogene等刊物发表论文30余篇。

承担科研项目

1. 国家基金委-云南省联合基金“胰腺癌灵长类模型建立及其在循环肿瘤细胞研究中的应用” （204万） 

2. 国家自然科学基金面上项目“基于胶质母细胞瘤干细胞的高通量抗肿瘤药物筛选技术的建立和应用”（80万元） 

3. 国家自然科学基金面上项目“HUWE1在卵巢癌发生发展中的作用”（60万元） 

4. 中科院“干细胞与再生医学研究”先导科技专项子课题　（600万元） 

5. 云南省高端科技人才引进计划“癌症干细胞特异性分子标记发掘和药物筛选”（200万元） 

6.中国科学院战略生物资源科技服务网络计划模式与特色动物实验平台野生动物实验动物化项目“树鼩实验动物化研究”（90万元） 

实验室主要在肿瘤干细胞和动物模型平台上研究癌症发病机理和药物研发，以及抗衰老药物及生物技术研发等。主要研究方向： 

1. 抗肿瘤干细胞药物发现； 

2. 抗衰老药物发现及生物技术； 

3. 创新动物模型的建立，特别是灵长类肿瘤模型建立及其应用； 

4. 肿瘤免疫和免疫治疗 

1.Zhou X, Li G, An S,…, Iavarone A#, Zhao X#. A new method of identifying glioblastoma subtypes and creation of corresponding animal models. Oncogene. (Accepted) 

2.Yang D*, Cheng D*, Tu Q*,…, Yu X#, Jiang H#, Zhao X#. The HUWE1-p53 axis Controls the Development of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Theranostics. (Accepted) 

3.Li C, Yan L, Ban W, Tu Q, Wu Y, Wang L, Bi R, Ji S, Ma Y, Nie W, Lv L, Yao Y#, Zhao X#, Zheng P#. Long-term propagation of tree shrew spermatogonial stem cells in culture and successful generation of transgenic offspring. Cell Res. 2017; 27(2):241-252. 

4.Yang D, Sun B, Zhang X, Cheng D, Yu X, Yan L, li L, An S, Jiang H, Lasorella A, Iavarone A, Zhang S, Zou F^#, Zhao X^#. Huwe1 sustains normal ovarian epithelial cell transformation and tumor growth through the histone H1.3-H19 cascade. Cancer Res 2017; 77(18):4773-4784. 

5.Tu Q*, Hao J*, Zhou X*, Yan L, Dai H, Sun B, Yang D, An S, Lv L, Jiao B, Chen C, Lai R, Shi P^#, Zhao X^#. CDNK2B deletion is essential for pancreatic cancer development instead of unmeaningful co-deletin due to juxtposition to CDKN2A. Oncogene 2018; 37(1):128-138. 

6.Tong Y*, Hao J*, Tu Q*, Yu H, Yan L, Li Y, Lv L, Wang F, Iavarone A, Zhao X. A tree shrew glioblastoma model recapitulates features of human glioblastoma. Oncotarget. 2017; 8:17897-19072. 

7.Li Y, Zhao Y, Zhou X, Ni W, Dai Z, Yang D, Hao J, Luo L, Liu Y, Luo X^#, Zhao X^#. Cytotoxic indole alkaloid 3a-acetonyltabersonine glioblastoma apoptosis via inhibition of DNA damage repair. Toxins. 2017; 9(5):150-167. 

8.Liu T*, Guo Y*, Yan L, Sun B, Zheng P, Zhao X. Depletion of endogenous germ cells in tree shrews in preparation for spermatogonial transplantation. Exp Ther Med. 2017; 14(3):2349-2354 

9.Dai Z, Li S, Zhu P, Liu L , Wang B, Liu Y, Luo X^#, Zhao X ^#. Isocostunolide inhibited glioma stem cell by suppression proliferation and inducing caspase dependent apoptosis. Bioorg Med Chem Let. 2017; 27(13):2863-2867 

10. Wei X, Dai Z, Yang J, Khanc A, Yu HF, ZhaoYL, Wang YF, Liu YP, Yang ZF, Huang WY, Wang XH^#, Zhao X^#, Luo XD^#. Unprecedented sugar bridged bisindoles selective inhibiting glioma stem cells. Bioorg Med Chem 2018；26(8):1776-83 

11. Yan L, Sun B, Lv L, Ma Y, Chen J, Lin Q, Zheng P, Zhao X. Early embryonic development and transplantation in tree shrews. Dongwuxue Yanjiu. 2016; 37(4): 252-258. 

12. Niola F*, Zhao X*, Singh D, Sullivan R, Castano A, Verrico A, Zoppoli P, Friedmann-Morvinski D, Sulman E, Barrett L, Zhuang Y, Verma I, Benezra R, Aldape K, Iavarone A, Lasorella A . Mesenchymal high-grade glioma is maintained by the ID-RAP1 axis. J Clin Invest, 2013;123(1):405–417. 

13. Niola F*, Zhao X*, Singh D, Castano A, Sullivan R, Lauria M, Nam HS, Zhuang Y, Benezra R, Di Bernardo D, Iavarone A, Lasorella A.Id proteins synchronize stemness and anchorage to the niche of neural stem cells. Nat Cell Biol, 2012;14(5):477-487. (* equal contribution) 

14. Zhao X*, D’Arca D*, Lim WK, Brahmachary M, Carro MS, Ludwig T, Cardo CC, Guillemot F, Aldape K, Califano A, Iavarone A, and Lasorella A. the N-Myc-DLL3 cascade is suppressed by the ubiquitin ligase Huwe1 to inhibit proliferation and promote neurogenesis in the developing brain. Dev Cell, 2009;17(2): 210-221. (Cover article) 

15. Zhao X, Heng JI, Guardavaccaro D, Jiang R, Pagano M, Guillemot F, Iavarone A, Lasorella A. The HECT-domain ubiquitin ligase Huwe1 controls neural differentiation and proliferation by destabilizing the N-Myc oncoprotein. Nat Cell Biol, 2008;10(6): 643-653.