Chao Zheng
PhD
Qualification
- BSc from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Chemistry
- PhD from Peking University, Organic Chemistry
Chao Zheng is an Independent Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Zheng has received training in organic and medicinal chemistry, radiochemistry, PET neuroimaging, and molecular imaging in neuroscience. Before joining CAMH/University of Toronto, Dr. Zheng held a research junior faculty position as an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, from 2021 to 2023. Prior to 2021, he gained valuable experience through two postdoctoral training positions: one at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in molecular imaging and the other at Yale University in the field of PET neuroimaging.
Research interests
Dr. Zheng’s research focuses on the development and application of innovative radiopharmaceuticals for PET neuroimaging. His work contributes to the advancement of both fundamental and clinical knowledge in translational PET neuroimaging. The ultimate goal is to apply radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and assessment of treatment in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Zheng’s research program has specific objectives: i) Adapting cutting-edge organic chemistry reactions for radiochemical applications; ii) Developing and applying novel PET imaging methods that directly capture biochemical or phenotypic changes in vivo. This involves integrating disciplines such as medicinal chemistry, radiochemistry, quantitative PET imaging from in vitro and preclinical in vivo studies, and pharmacology.
Honours and Awards
2022 Young Investigator Award, Center for Molecular Imaging Innovation & Translation Council, SNMMI
2022 Young Investigator Award, Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council, SNMMI
2022 Scholarship to Enhance and Empower Diversity for Early-Career Neuroscientists
2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference Fellowship
2021 Young Investigator Award, Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Council, SNMMI