Dr. CHI KWAN TSANG is currently a tenure professor and doctoral student supervisor. After graduating from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Kagoshima University in Japan, he went to Washington University in St. Louis and the Medical University of New Jersey in the United States to pursue his research career in the field of Biomedicine. In 2016, we relocated from the Rutgers University to Jinan University through the Overseas Talent Recruitment Program of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Hospital), and obtained a high-end talent (Class A) work permit from the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. Dr. Tsang joined the Clinical Neuroscience Research Institute of Jinan University as a full-time Professor and Lab Head. In recent years, he has been also serving as a Committee Member of the Guangdong Stroke Society, Deputy Leader of the Intestinal Microecology Group of the Neurology Branch of the Guangdong Medical Association, Academic Committee Member of the Guangzhou Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease Clinical Medicine Research and Transformation Center, high-level talent evaluation expert for the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and Academic  Expert for the Science and Technology Department in Henan Province, Zhejiang Province, Heilongjiang Province, Jiangxi Province, and Guangxi Province. He has been invited as the grant reviewer for various national, provincial, ministerial, and university level talent evaluations and research projects. Dr. Tsang’s main research interests include the neuroprotection, neural repair, and regeneration mechanisms for brain diseases with special focus on stroke, as well as the research and development of innovative biomolecular drug targets and brain-drug delivery. So far, he has published, as first or corresponding author, more than 40 primary research articles in journals including Nature, Molecular Cell, eBioMedicine, Nature Communications, Circulation Research, Stroke, and EMBO Journal. Dr. Tsang has obtained 4 invention patents. Since his relocation to China, Dr. Tsang has undertaken the role of project leader for 8 national, provincial and ministerial scientific research projects, including three National Natural Science Foundation of China, one provincial key project, one provincial international collaboration project, two provincial natural science projects, one open project of State Key Laboratory of ophthalmology, and many other research and cultivation funds, totaling more than 5 million yuan.

2002                  Ph.D., Kagoshima University, Japan

1997                  M. Phil., (Biology) Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

1995                  B. Sc., (Biology) Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

2016 – present, Professor, Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University

2009 – 2016, Assistant Professor, Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Department of Pharmacology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

2004-2009, Research Teaching Specialist, Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)

 2002-2004, Research Associate, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis

Research fields

Ÿ   Neurology, Molecular and Cellular Biology

Ÿ   Stroke prevention, diagnosis and treatment

Ÿ   Molecular Biomedicine

Ÿ   Brain drug delivery

Research directions

Ÿ   Pathophysiology of acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack

Ÿ   Neurovascular protection, neural repair, neuroregeneration after stroke

Ÿ   Endogenous molecular mechanisms of ischemic tolerance and preconditionings

Ÿ   Application of multi-dimensional and multi-omics analysis for characterization of spatial and temporal molecular features of biological systems

Ÿ   Mechanistic/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway

Ÿ   Gut-Brain axis in regulation of CNS pathophysiology

1.     Yang Z, Tsang CK* (2025) Therapeutic potential of circular RNAs in neurovascular remodeling after stroke. Neural Regeneration Research, in press.

2.     Chi Kwan Tsang*and X.F. Steven Zheng* (2024) Role of RNA polymerase III transcription and regulation in ischemic stroke. RNA Biology 21:1-10 (doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2024.2409554)

3.     Xinyue Zhang, Guangpu Su, Zitong Shao, Ho Wan Chan, Si Li, Stephanie Chow, Chi Kwan Tsang, Shing Fung Chow* (2024). Rational Development of Fingolimod Nano-embedded Microparticles as Nose-to-Brain Neuroprotective Therapy for Ischemic Stroke. Drug Delivery and Translational Research, In press (doi.org/10.1007/s13346-024-01721-8)

4.   Zhenguo Yang#, Cheng Huang #, Wenhui Huang#, Xueyi Wen, Di Hu, Hesong Xie, Chi Kwan Tsang, Kejing He, Keshen Li* (2024) Exacerbated ischemic brain damage in type 2 diabetes via methylglyoxal-mediated miR-148a-3p decline. BMC Medicine 22: 557, 1-20 (doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03768-3)

5.  RongrongLiu, SiweiLuo, Yu-ShengZhang*, Chi KwanTsang*(2023) Plasma metabolomic profiling of patients with transient ischemic attack reveals positive role of neutrophils in ischemic tolerance. eBioMedicine 97: 104845

6.  Hongcheng Mai, Tianyuan Zhang, Tao Zhang, Aijun Lu, Zhengdong Wu, Bing Yang, Niu He, Xiaoyan Liu, Chi Kwan Tsang *, Anding Xu*, Dan Lu* (2023). Spatial proteomics analysis of soft and stiff regions in human acute arterial thrombus. Stroke 54(6):1636-1644. (2023/4/13). Featured on AHA Blogging Stroke (highlighting high-impact studies) as Article Commentary by Dr. Braydon Dymm, June 22, 2023, DOI: 10.1161/blog.20230622.414683

7.  Chi Kwan Tsang^#, *, Qiongjie Mi^#, Guangpu Su, Gum Hwa Lee, Xuemin Xie, Gabriella D’Arcangelo, Li’an Huang*, X.F. Steven Zheng* (2023). Maf1 is an intrinsic suppressor against spontaneous neural repair and functional recovery after ischemic stroke. Journal of Advanced Research, 51:73-90. 2022 Nov 17

8.  Yanfang Liu^#; Yufeng Li ^#; Jiankun Zang ^#; Tianyuan Zhang; Yaojie Li; Zefeng Tan, Dan Ma, Tao Zhang, Shiyong Wang, Yusheng Zhang, Lian Huang,Yousheng Wu; Xuanlin Su; Zean Weng; Die Deng ; Tsang CK *, Anding Xu *, Dan Lu * (2022) CircOGDH is a Penumbra Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Acute Ischemic Stroke. Circulation Research, 130(6):907-924. (ESI高被引/热点论文）.

9.   Xie X, Li M, Zhou M, Chow SF, Tsang CK* (2021) Pharmacological preconditioning by TERT inhibitor BIBR1532 confers neuronal ischemic tolerance through TERT-mediated transcriptional reprogramming. Journal of Neurochemistry 159(4): 690-709. 2021 Oct 9

10. Yang Z, Huang C, Wen X, Liu W, Huang X, Li Y, Zang J, Weng Z, Lu D, Tsang CK, Li K, Xu A (2021) Circular RNA circ-FoxO3 attenuates blood-brain barrier damage by inducing autophagy during ischemia/reperfusion. Molecular Therapy30(3):1275-1287.

11. Tsang CK, Chen M, Cheng X, Qi Y, Chen Y,Das I., Li X., Vallat B, Fu L, Qian C, Wang H, White E, Burley SK, and Zheng XFS (2018) SOD1 Phosphorylation by mTORC1Couples Nutrient Sensing and Redox Regulation, Molecular Cell, 70: 502-515. 2018 May 3 (Featured Article, Preview, Meet the Authors, invited extra view article and Editor’s note on the 2018-5-3 issue)

12. Hong, X., Liu, W., Song, R., Shah, J., Feng, X., Tsang CK., Morgan, K., Bunting, S., Inuzuka, H., Zheng, X.F. S., Shen, Z., Sabaawy, H., Liu, L. X., Pine,S. (2016) SOX9 is targeted for proteasomal degradation by the E3 ligase FBW7 in response to DNA damage, Nucleic Acids Research44, 8855-69

13. Li Y., Tsang CK, Li, X., Yang, Y., Hui-Yun Wang and X.F. Steven Zheng (2016) MAF1 Suppresses AKT-mTOR Signaling and Liver Cancer Through Activation of PTEN Transcription, Hepatology63: 1928-1942

14. Tsang CK, Liu, Y., Thomas, J., Zhang, Y., Zheng, X.F. (2014) Superoxide dismutase 1 acts as a nuclear transcription factor to regulate oxidative stress resistance. Nature Communications 5, 3446. ((Featured in the Faculty of 1000, 30^th April 2014; SGDNews & Noteworthy “Silly Sod’s Two Jobs” on March 31, 2014; and ScienceDaily “New role discovered for Enzyme could have Implication for Cancer and Neurological Disease” on March 27, 2014)

15. Wei, Y., Tsang CK and Zheng, X.F. (2009) Mechanisms of regulation of RNA polymerase III-dependent transcription by TORC1.EMBO Journal 28, 2220-2230. (Featured in Cell Cycle 8, 3802-3).

16. Tsang CK, Li, H., Zheng, X.F. (2007) Nutrient Starvation Promotes Condensin Loading to maintain rDNA stability. EMBO Journal 26, 448-458. (Accompanied by an invited extra-view in Cell Cycle 6, 2213-2218).

17. Li, H*., Tsang CK* (共同第一作者*), Watkins*, M., Bertram, P., Zheng X.F (2006) Nutrient regulates Tor1 nuclear localization and association with rDNA promoter. Nature442, 1058-1061. (Featured as Editor’s choice in Science’s Signaling351,302 and Cell Metabolisms 4, 259-260; and was accompanied by an invited extra-view in Cell Cycle 6, 25-29.)

18.  Tsang CK, Bertram, P.G., Ai, W., Drenan, R., Zheng, X.F. (2003) Chromatin-mediated regulation of nucleolar structure and RNA Pol I localization by TOR. EMBO Journal 22, 6045-6056. (Featured in the Faculty of 1000, Nov 2003)

19.     Tsang CK, Kamei, Y. (2004) Sargaquinoic acid supports the survival of neuronal PC12D cells in a nerve growth factor-independent manner. European Journal of Pharmacology488, 11-18. 

20.    Ai, W., Bertram, P.G., Tsang CK, Chan, T.F., Zheng, X.F. (2002) Regulation of subtelomeric silencing during stress response. Molecular Cell10, 1295-1305.

(Featured in News Commentary by EHP Toxicogenomics 111, 335-336, May 2003)

1.     Yang Z, Tsang CK* (2025) Therapeutic potential of circular RNAs in neurovascular remodeling after stroke. Neural Regeneration Research, in press.

2.     Chi Kwan Tsang*and X.F. Steven Zheng* (2024) Role of RNA polymerase III transcription and regulation in ischemic stroke. RNA Biology 21:1-10 (doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2024.2409554)

3.     Xinyue Zhang, Guangpu Su, Zitong Shao, Ho Wan Chan, Si Li, Stephanie Chow, Chi Kwan Tsang, Shing Fung Chow* (2024). Rational Development of Fingolimod Nano-embedded Microparticles as Nose-to-Brain Neuroprotective Therapy for Ischemic Stroke. Drug Delivery and Translational Research, In press (doi.org/10.1007/s13346-024-01721-8)

4.   Zhenguo Yang#, Cheng Huang #, Wenhui Huang#, Xueyi Wen, Di Hu, Hesong Xie, Chi Kwan Tsang, Kejing He, Keshen Li* (2024) Exacerbated ischemic brain damage in type 2 diabetes via methylglyoxal-mediated miR-148a-3p decline. BMC Medicine 22: 557, 1-20 (doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03768-3)

5.  RongrongLiu, SiweiLuo, Yu-ShengZhang*, Chi KwanTsang*(2023) Plasma metabolomic profiling of patients with transient ischemic attack reveals positive role of neutrophils in ischemic tolerance. eBioMedicine 97: 104845

6.  Hongcheng Mai, Tianyuan Zhang, Tao Zhang, Aijun Lu, Zhengdong Wu, Bing Yang, Niu He, Xiaoyan Liu, Chi Kwan Tsang *, Anding Xu*, Dan Lu* (2023). Spatial proteomics analysis of soft and stiff regions in human acute arterial thrombus. Stroke 54(6):1636-1644. (2023/4/13). 

      Featured on AHA Blogging Stroke (highlighting high-impact studies) as Article Commentary by Dr. Braydon Dymm, June 22, 2023, DOI: 10.1161/blog.20230622.414683

7.  Chi Kwan Tsang^#, *, Qiongjie Mi^#, Guangpu Su, Gum Hwa Lee, Xuemin Xie, Gabriella D’Arcangelo, Li’an Huang*, X.F. Steven Zheng* (2023). Maf1 is an intrinsic suppressor against spontaneous neural repair and functional recovery after ischemic stroke. Journal of Advanced Research, 51:73-90. 2022 Nov 17

8.  Yanfang Liu^#; Yufeng Li ^#; Jiankun Zang ^#; Tianyuan Zhang; Yaojie Li; Zefeng Tan, Dan Ma, Tao Zhang, Shiyong Wang, Yusheng Zhang, Lian Huang,Yousheng Wu; Xuanlin Su; Zean Weng; Die Deng ; Tsang CK *, Anding Xu *, Dan Lu * (2022) CircOGDH is a Penumbra Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Acute Ischemic Stroke. Circulation Research, 130(6):907-924.

9.   Xie X, Li M, Zhou M, Chow SF, Tsang CK* (2021) Pharmacological preconditioning by TERT inhibitor BIBR1532 confers neuronal ischemic tolerance through TERT-mediated transcriptional reprogramming. Journal of Neurochemistry 159(4): 690-709. 

10. Yang Z, Huang C, Wen X, Liu W, Huang X, Li Y, Zang J, Weng Z, Lu D, Tsang CK, Li K, Xu A (2021) Circular RNA circ-FoxO3 attenuates blood-brain barrier damage by inducing autophagy during ischemia/reperfusion. Molecular Therapy30(3):1275-1287.

11. Tsang CK, Chen M, Cheng X, Qi Y, Chen Y,Das I., Li X., Vallat B, Fu L, Qian C, Wang H, White E, Burley SK, and Zheng XFS (2018) SOD1 Phosphorylation by mTORC1Couples Nutrient Sensing and Redox Regulation, Molecular Cell, 70: 502-515. 

      (Featured Article, Preview, Meet the Authors, invited extra view article and Editor’s note on the 2018-5-3 issue)

12. Hong, X., Liu, W., Song, R., Shah, J., Feng, X., Tsang CK., Morgan, K., Bunting, S., Inuzuka, H., Zheng, X.F. S., Shen, Z., Sabaawy, H., Liu, L. X., Pine,S. (2016) SOX9 is targeted for proteasomal degradation by the E3 ligase FBW7 in response to DNA damage, Nucleic Acids Research44, 8855-69

13. Li Y., Tsang CK, Li, X., Yang, Y., Hui-Yun Wang and X.F. Steven Zheng (2016) MAF1 Suppresses AKT-mTOR Signaling and Liver Cancer Through Activation of PTEN Transcription, Hepatology63: 1928-1942

14. Tsang CK, Liu, Y., Thomas, J., Zhang, Y., Zheng, X.F. (2014) Superoxide dismutase 1 acts as a nuclear transcription factor to regulate oxidative stress resistance. Nature Communications 5, 3446. ((Featured in the Faculty of 1000, 30^th April 2014; SGDNews & Noteworthy “Silly Sod’s Two Jobs” on March 31, 2014; and ScienceDaily “New role discovered for Enzyme could have Implication for Cancer and Neurological Disease” on March 27, 2014)

15. Wei, Y., Tsang CK and Zheng, X.F. (2009) Mechanisms of regulation of RNA polymerase III-dependent transcription by TORC1.EMBO Journal 28, 2220-2230. (Featured in Cell Cycle 8, 3802-3).

16. Tsang CK, Li, H., Zheng, X.F. (2007) Nutrient Starvation Promotes Condensin Loading to maintain rDNA stability. EMBO Journal 26, 448-458. (Accompanied by an invited extra-view in Cell Cycle 6, 2213-2218).

17. Li, H*., Tsang CK*, Watkins*, M., Bertram, P., Zheng X.F (2006) Nutrient regulates Tor1 nuclear localization and association with rDNA promoter. Nature 442, 1058-1061. (*co-first author)

  (Featured as Editor’s choice in Science’s Signaling351,302 and Cell Metabolisms 4, 259-260; and was accompanied by an invited extra-view in Cell Cycle 6, 25-29.)

18. Tsang CK, Bertram, P.G., Ai, W., Drenan, R., Zheng, X.F. (2003) Chromatin-mediated regulation of nucleolar structure and RNA Pol I localization by TOR. EMBO Journal 22, 6045-6056. (Featured in the Faculty of 1000, Nov 2003)

19. Tsang CK, Kamei, Y. (2004) Sargaquinoic acid supports the survival of neuronal PC12D cells in a nerve growth factor-independent manner. European Journal of Pharmacology 488, 11-18. 

20. Ai, W., Bertram, P.G., Tsang CK, Chan, T.F., Zheng, X.F. (2002) Regulation of subtelomeric silencing during stress response. Molecular Cell10, 1295-1305.

(Featured in News Commentary by EHP Toxicogenomics 111, 335-336, May 2003)

1. 发明名称∶ 一种miRNA-5112作为急性卒中诊断性生物标志物的应用

专利号：ZL 2021 1 1642677.1

发明人: 徐安定, 刘燕芳, 逯丹, 张添源, 李玉峰, 臧建坤, 吴有盛, 曾智军, 李克深, 黄立安, 张玉生, 谭泽锋

申请日期：2021-12-29

生效日期：2021-12-29 至2041-12-28

受权公告日: 2022-08-12

受权公告号: CN114231615B

专利权人: 暨南大学附属第一医院 (广州华侨医院)

地址: 510170 广东省广州市黄埔大道西613号

发证单位: 国家知识产权局

2. 发明名称∶一种血浆外泌体circOGDH作为急性卒中诊断性生物标志物的应用

专利号：ZL 2021 1 16446991.1

发明人: 徐安定, 逯丹, 刘燕芳, 张添源, 李玉峰, 臧建坤, 吴有盛, 曾智军, 李克深, 黄立安, 张玉生, 谭泽锋，王世勇，黎耀杰

专利权人: 暨南大学附属第一医院 (广州华侨医院)

地址: 510170 广东省广州市黄埔大道西613号

申请日期：2021-12-30

受权公告日: 2022-10-25

受权公告号: CN114182009B

发证单位: 国家知识产权局

3. 发明名称∶一种circRNA OGDH作为诊断急性脑梗死及预判半暗带的生物标志物的应用

专利号：ZL 2021 1 1646380.2

发明人: 徐安定, 逯丹, 刘燕芳, 李玉峰, 臧建坤, 张添源, 吴有盛, 曾智军, 李克深, 张玉生, 黄立安, 谭泽锋，王世勇，杨振国

专利权人: 暨南大学附属第一医院 (广州华侨医院)

地址: 510170 广东省广州市黄埔大道西613号

申请日期：2021-12-30

生效日期：2022-10-25 至2041-12-29

受权公告日: 2022-10-25

受权公告号: CN114277124B

发证单位: 国家知识产权局

4. 发明名称∶一种环状RNA CircOGDH的表达抑制剂再制备预防和/或治疗急性缺血性脑卒中的药物中的应用

专利号：ZL 2021 1 1646449.1

发明人:逯丹，徐安定，臧健坤，苏璇琳，李玉峰，刘燕芳，张添源，吴有盛，曾智军，李克深，谭泽锋，王世勇

专利权人: 暨南大学附属第一医院 (广州华侨医院)

地址: 510170 广东省广州市黄埔大道西613号

申请日期：2021-12/30

受权公告日: 2024-10-25

受权公告号: CN 114272380 B

发证单位: 国家知识产权局

Lectures

2017 – present    

Clinical Medical School of Jinan University

Lecture title: Introduction to the neuroprotective mechanisms after ischemic stroke

Level: First year research-type Ph.D. graduate students 

Responsibility: Taught a class of Ph.D. graduate students in this module-based course; responsible for designing lecture materials, and examination questions

2017 – present    

Clinical Medical School of Jinan University

Lecture title: Experience for publishing in high-impact journal

Level: First year research type Ph.D. graduate students 

Responsibility: Taught a class of Ph.D. graduate students in this module-based course; responsible for designing lecture materials, and examination questions

2019 – present    

Clinical Medical School of Jinan University

Lecture title: The art of effective reply to reviewer's questions for academic publication

Level: Clinical PhD students  

Responsibility: Taught a class of Ph.D. graduate students in this module-based course.

2011- 2016 Fall   

Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Course title: Neuron, Brain and Behavior

Level: Second year medical school course 

Responsibility: teach a class of ~180 medical students in this module-based course; responsible for designing lecture materials, study objectives, formative and exam questions, reading assignments for a lecture on pharmacology of anti-seizure drugs.

2013 Spring        

Rutgers University/ UMDNJ joint graduate program

Course title: Introduction to Molecular Medicine

Level: Graduate school course

Responsibility: Taught a class of 25 master’s level graduate students in this module-based course; responsible for delivering a lecture and facilitating a student presentation section, and setting exam questions on the topic of mTOR-targeted medicines.

2010 Spring        

UMDNJ/Rutgers University joint graduate program

Course title: Ethical Scientific Conduct

Level: First year graduate school course

Responsibility: Co-taught a class of the first year graduate students; responsible for leading group discussion on 15 topics of Scientific Conducts.

2008 Fall           

Kean University, Department of Biology (Adjunct Faculty)                                           

Course name: Principles of Biology

Level: Undergraduate course

Hours: 3 hours lecture and 3 hours Lab work per week

Responsibility: Taught a class of 50 undergraduate students; responsible for all aspects of the course including syllabus design, lesson delivery, and grading; supervised the students’ laboratory works; scheduled to teach one 3-hour lecture and one 3-hour laboratory session per week.

2007 Spring        

UMDNJ/Rutgers University joint program                               

Course name: The Application of Fungal Systems to Molecular and Cellular Biology

Level: Graduate seminar course

Responsibility: Co-taught a class of 25 graduate students; responsible for facilitating seminar discussion on a topic of chromatin structure and regulation.

• State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs: High-end talent (Class A) 

  
  

• Guangdong Stroke Association: Council Member

  
  

• Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology: High-level Talent Evaluation Expert

  
  

• Henan Provincial Department of Science and Technology: Grant Reviewer and Evaluation expert

  
  

• Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology: Grant Reviewer and Evaluation expert

  
  

• Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology: Grant Reviewer and Evaluation expert

  
  

• Jiangxi  Provincial Department of Science and Technology: Grant Reviewer and Evaluation expert

  
  

• Guangxi  Provincial Department of Science and Technology: Grant Reviewer and Evaluation expert