Lu Zeng, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences (in Neurology) at CUMC

Overview
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences (in Neurology) at CUMC
Languages
- Chinese
- English
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- MPhil/MS (joint), The University of Adelaide and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- PhD, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Honors & Awards
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society Biostatistics/Informatics Junior Faculty Award, 2025-2028
- Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Young Investigator Educational Grant, 2025
- ASHG Reviewer’s Choice Award, 2024
Research
Dr. Lu Zeng is a statistical geneticist whose research integrates statistical genetics, computational biology, and multi-omics to investigate the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying neurological and autoimmune diseases, with a particular focus on multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Her research combines large-scale genome-wide association studies with single-cell genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, and proteomics to identify disease-associated cell types, genes, and molecular pathways. Her work aims to translate human genetic discoveries into biological insights that advance our understanding of disease mechanisms and inform the development of therapeutic strategies.
Research Interests
- Computational and Systems Biology
- Computational Biology
- Human Genetics
- Multi-omics
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Neurodegenerative Disease
- Single-Cell Genomics
- Statistical genetics
Selected Publications
Selected Publications
- Zeng L*, Khan A*, Fitzgerald KC, et al. Genome-wide association analyses highlight the neuronal contribution to multiple sclerosis susceptibility. Nat Genet. 2026;58(9):2177-2191. doi:10.1038/s41588-026-02731-7.
- Fujita M*, Gao Z*, Zeng L*, et al. Cell subtype-specific effects of genetic variation in the Alzheimer’s disease brain. Nat Genet. 2024;56:605-614. doi:10.1038/s41588-024-01685-y.
- Zeng L, Fujita M, Gao Z, et al. A Single-Nucleus Transcriptome-Wide Association Study Implicates Novel Genes in Depression Pathogenesis. Biol Psychiatry. 2024;96(1):34-43. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.12.012.