Zaijie Wang
Distinguished Professor, University of Illinois Chicago
Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Sciences
Email:
Related Sites:
About Heading link
Overview:
https://zjwang.lab.uic.edu/
Research Interests:
Pain
Addiction
(
Neurobiology
Epigenetics
Pharmacology
Natural product pharmacology; CNS drug discovery
Targeted delivery
)
Teaching and Supervision Heading link
PhD Thesis Research (BPS 599), 1/13/2025 – 5/2/2025
Undergrad Res Exp Pharm Sci (PSCI 300), 1/13/2025 – 5/2/2025
PhD Thesis Research (BPS 599), 8/26/2024 – 12/6/2024
Undergrad Res Exp Pharm Sci (PSCI 300), 8/26/2024 – 12/6/2024
PhD Thesis Research (BPS 599), 1/8/2024 – 4/26/2024
PhD Thesis Research (BPS 599), 8/21/2023 – 12/1/2023
Undergrad Res Exp Pharm Sci (PSCI 300), 8/21/2023 – 12/1/2023
PhD Thesis Research (BPS 599), 1/9/2023 – 4/28/2023
PhD Thesis Research (BPS 599), 8/22/2022 – 12/2/2022
Selected Grants
Molecular Mechanism and Targeting of Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease, National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)., 2/1/2025 - 1/31/2032, Obligated Amount: $1103783; Anticipated Amount: $7726481
α9α10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in neuropathic pain, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke., 8/1/2024 - 6/30/2029, Obligated Amount: $624360; No Anticipated Amount Set
?9?10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in neuropathic pain, National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)., 8/1/2024 - 6/30/2029, Obligated Amount: $624360; Anticipated Amount: $3121800
Erythrocyte Autophagy Proteins as Potential Non-opioid Novel Targets for Pain in Sickle Cell Disease, National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)., 9/22/2022 - 8/31/2024, Obligated Amount: $455195; Anticipated Amount: $455195
“Identification of Natural Products with Translational Potential for Management of Chronic Pain”, NIH/NCCIH (ODS)., 9/20/2019 - 6/30/2020, Obligated Amount: $191.393; No Anticipated Amount Set
Regulation of Trigeminal Nociception by TRESK Channels, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke., 4/1/2018 - 3/30/2023, Obligated Amount: $251595; No Anticipated Amount Set
Molecular Mechanism and Targeting of Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease, National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)., 1/16/2018 - 12/31/2024, Obligated Amount: $3240850; Anticipated Amount: $4629786
Molecular Mechanism and Targeting of Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease, National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)., 1/16/2018 - 12/31/2024, Obligated Amount: $3240850; Anticipated Amount: $4629786
microRNA as a Target for Fetal Hemoglobin Inducing Agents in Sickle Cell Disease, National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)., 5/1/2017 - 10/30/2019, Obligated Amount: $273964; Anticipated Amount: $273964
Selected Publications
Zheng, Jingtian, Wu, Yi-Chien, Cai, Xiaoying, Phan, Philana, Gill, Meghna, Er, Ekrem Emrah, Zhao, Zongmin, Wang, Zaijie J, Lee, Steve Seung-Young. (2025). Correlative multiscale 3D imaging of mouse primary and metastatic tumors by sequential light sheet and confocal fluorescence microscopy. iScience, 28, (3), 111934. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.111934.
Kremiller, Kyle M, Kulkarni, Gauri C, Arachchige, Hirushi T Gunasekara Kalu, Kashyap, Yavnika, Ilktach, Giokdjen, Hu, Ying, Wang, Zaijie J, Riley, Andrew P, Peters, Christian J. (2025). BPS2025 – Identification and functional characterization of antinociceptive alpha9alpha10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists. Biophysical Journal, 124, (3), 7a-8a. doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2024.11.106.
Kremiller, Kyle M, Kulkarni, Gauri C, Arachchige, Hirushi T Gunasekara Kalu, Kashyap, Yavnika, Ilktach, Giokdjen, Hu, Ying, Wang, Zaijie J, Riley, Andrew P, Peters, Christian J. (2025). BPS2025 – Identification and functional characterization of antinociceptive α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists. Biophysical Journal, 124, (3), 467a. doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2024.11.2469.
Sadhu, Nilanjana, He, Ying, Kashyap, Yavnika, Ilktach, Giokdjen, Wang, Michael A, Yao, Yingwei, Wilkie, Diana J, Molokie, Robert E, Wang, Zaijie Jim. (2025). Sex-stratified association of variants in the serotonin 1A receptor gene with acute crisis pain among African American patients with sickle cell disease. Experimental Hematology, 142, 104692. doi:10.1016/j.exphem.2024.104692.
Islam, Abigail R, Kiros, Gebre-Egziabher, Ajiboye, Rachael O, Powell-Roach, Keesha, Ezenwa, Miriam O, Reams, R Renee, Molokie, Robert E, Wang, Zaijie Jim, Yao, Yingwei, Wilkie, Diana J. (2024). Association of COMT rs4680 Genotype With Chronic Neuropathic Pain Experience in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease. Pain Management Nursing. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2024.11.010.
Graham, James G, Bisson, Jonathan, Harris, Guy H, Wang, Zaijie Jim, Waller, Donald P, Pauli, Guido F. (2024). Natural Products with Potential for the Treatment of Pain: Global Evidence from the NAPRALERT Database. Journal of Natural Products, 87, (11), 2665-2675. doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00439.
Kremiller, Kyle M, Kulkarni, Gauri C, Harris, Lauren M, Gunasekara, Hirushi, Kashyap, Yavnika, Ilktach, Giokdjen, Nguyen, Angela, Ondrus, Alison E, Hu, Ying S, Wang, Zaijie J, Riley, Andrew P, Peters, Christian J. (2024). Discovery of Antinociceptive α9α10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonists by Stable Receptor Expression. ACS Chemical Biology, 19, (11), 2291-2303. doi:10.1021/acschembio.4c00330.
He, Ying, Guo, Xiao, Molokie, Robert, Wang, Zaijie Jim. (2023). Β-Lactam Antibiotic Ceftriaxone As a Potential Therapeutic Intervention for Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease. Blood, 142, (Supplement 1), 2495. doi:10.1182/blood-2023-188342.
Kashyap, Yavnika, Wang, Zaijie Jim. (2023). Gut microbiota dysbiosis alters chronic pain behaviors in a humanized transgenic mouse model of sickle cell disease. Pain, 165, (2), 423-439. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003034.
Professional Leadership
NIH NPI Study Section, NIH, 10/1/2014 - 6/30/2021
Ontario Genomics Institute’s Scientific Advisory Group (SAG), 2012 - 2012
Education
Degrees:
Ph.D, University of California at San Francisco, United States