Prof. ZUO Zhong, Joan

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Biography

Professor Joan Zuo holds a B. Sc. and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and has had over 25 years’ experience in the biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics fields. Since she joined the School of Pharmacy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Jan 2000, Prof. Zuo has secured over 24 million continuous supports from various grant agencies such as University Grant Council, Innovation Technology Foundation, Food and Health Bureau, Hospital Authority in Hong Kong SAR as PI to support her series investigations on biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics of both western drug molecule and herbal bioactive components. Her research achievements have been applied to areas such as improvement of quality control and delivery of western drugs as well as herbal products, elucidation or even prediction of potential herb/drug interactions in vivo. Prof. Zuo’s research findings in the above fields have generated over 300 original research and conference papers and patents of USA, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

In Hong Kong, Prof. Zuo is serving in the Pharmacy & Poison’s Board, Pharmacy Internship Training Committee, Pharmacovigilance Committee, TCM Research and Development Committee and Proprietary Traditional Chinese Medicine Registration Committee at the government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China. She is currently the Council member of the Metropolitan University of Hong Kong and Incu-Bio and Expert Panels of the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation.

Internationally, Prof. Zuo is the Fellow of American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and has served as nomination committee member for International Society of Xenobiotics (ISSX). Currently, she is the regional editor of European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and editorial board member for Biopharmaceutics and Drug Dispositions, Xenobiotica, Chinese Medicine and, grant reviewer for China and Macau, and journal reviewer for more than 50 international peer reviewed journals.

Research Interests

(1) Biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics of novel compounds;

(2) Sublingual and nasal delivery of drugs;

(3) Absorption, pharmacokinetics and formulation study of the active components in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) or herbal medicine;

(4) Herb-drug interactions investigations using preclinical, clinical, systematic reviews and database development approaches;

Representative Publications

  1. Zhang YF, Wo SK, Leng W, Gao F, Yan XY, Zuo Z. (2022) Population pharmacokinetics and IVIVC for mesalazine enteric-coated tablets. J Control Release. 346:275-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.04.024
  2. Lyu YF, Li D, Yuan XP, Li ZW, Zhang J, Ming X, Shaw PC, Zhang CB, Kong A.P.S., Zuo Z. (2022) Effects of combination treatment with metformin and berberine on hypoglycemic activity and gut microbiota modulation in db/db mice. Phytomedicine 101:Article 154099. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154099
  3. Li Z, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Zhou L, Zhao J, Lyu Y, Poon LH, Lin Z, To KKW, Yan X, Zuo Z. (2021) Intestinal absorption and hepatic elimination of drugs in high-fat high-cholesterol diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis rats: exemplified by simvastatin. Br J Pharmacol. 178(3):582-599. DOI: 10.1111/bph.15298
  4. Zhao J, Cheng SW, Ng WL, Zhang Y, Shek TL, Ren T, Yan X, Li K, Wang J, Zuo Z. (2020)Identification of the in vivo relevant dissolution media for the three active components in EGb 761 tablet for better correlation with their pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects. Eur J Pharm Sci. 154:105515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105515
  5. Zhang Y, Yang M, Ho NJ, Mok RY, Zhang Z, Ge B, Leung PC, Fung KP, Lau CBS, Lee VHL, Lin Z, Wong RSM, Zuo Z. (2020) Is it safe to take Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza – Radix Pueraria Lobate product with warfarin and aspirin? A pilot study in healthy human subjects. J Ethnopharmacol. 262:113151. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113151
  6. Zhang J, Wang D, Zou L, Xiao M, Zhang Y, Li Z, Yang L, Ge G, Zuo Z. (2020) Rapid bioluminescence assay for monitoring rat CES1 activity and its alteration by traditional Chinese medicines. J Pharm Anal. 10(3):253-262. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2020.05.006
  7. Ren T, Hu M, Cheng Y, Shek TL, Xiao M, Ho NJ, Zhang C, Leung SSY, Zuo Z. (2019) Piperine-loaded nanoparticles with enhanced dissolution and oral bioavailability for epilepsy control. Eur J Pharm Sci. 137:104988. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.104988
  8. Xiao M, Qian C, Luo X, Yang M, Zhang Y, Wu C, Mok C, Lee P, Zuo Z. (2019) Impact of the Chinese herbal medicines on dual antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin: Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics outcomes and related mechanisms in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 235:100-110. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.01.040
  9. Wang Q, Peng S, Hu Y, Wong CH, Kwan KM, Chan HYE, Zuo Z. (2019) Efficient brain uptake and distribution of an expanded CAG RNA inhibitor DB213 via intranasal administration. Eur J Pharm Sci. 127:240-251. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2018.10.025
  10. Li Y, Meng Q, Yang M, Liu D, Hou X, Tang L, Wang X, Lyu Y, Chen X, Liu K, Yu AM*, Zuo Z*., Bi H*. (2019) Current trends in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics. Acta Pharm Sin B. 9(6):1113-1144. DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2019.10.001