Zhipeng (Toby) Tao, PhD

Contact

ztao@twu.edu
940-898-2641
SRC 204K

Biography

Dr. Zhipeng (Toby) Tao is an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at TWU. Before joining TWU, Toby worked as a postdoctoral research fellow for four years at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He received his Ph.D. degree in Molecular and Cellular Sciences from Virginia Tech in 2019.
Dr. Tao has a strong background in areas of metabolic diseases (obesity and diabetes) and cancer (development and drug resistance). Dr. Tao’s overarching goal is to elucidate the role of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function in cancer and metabolic diseases (diabetes and obesity) and design nutritional interventions and evidence-based target therapies.

Education

Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Science, Virginia Tech
M.S., Food Biochemistry, Jimei University
B.A., English in International Trade, Southwest University
B.S., Food Quality and Safety, Southwest University

Research Interests

Lipid Metabolism; Mitochondria; Lipid Modification; Signal Transduction; Target Therapeutics; Energy Signaling; Hormonal Signaling; Carcinogenesis; Metastasis; Obesity; Diabetes; Metabolic Disease; Short Chain Fatty Acid; Proteomics; Genomics.

Latest Articles

VGLL2 and TEAD1 fusion porteins drive YAP/TAZ-independent transcription and tumorigenesis by engaging
bioRxiv (2024)
S. Guo, X. Hu, J.L Cotton, Ma L., Q. Li

Loss of FoxO1 activates an alternate mechanism of mitochondrial quality control for healthy adipose browning
Clinical Science (2024)
L. Shi, J. Yang, Z. Tao, L. Zheng, T.F Bui

The health benefits of dietary short-chain fatty acids in metabolic diseases
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2024)
Zhipeng Tao

FoxO1 regulates adipose transdifferentiation and iron influx by mediating Tgfβ1 signaling pathway
Redox Biology (2023)
L Shi, Zhipeng Tao, L Zheng, J Yang, X Hu

The circadian clock protein Cryptochrome 1 is a direct target and feedback regulator of the Hippo pathway
Iscience (2023)
A Azzi, Zhipeng Tao, Y Sun, H Erb, C Guarino

Palmitoyl acyltransferase ZDHHC7 inhibits androgen receptor and suppresses prostate cancer
Oncogene (2023)
Z. Lin, S. Agarwal, S. Tan, H. Shi, X. Lu

Hormonal regulation of metabolism – Recent lessons learned from insulin and estrogen
Clinical Science (2023)
Z. Tao, Z. Cheng

Stromal Hippo-YAP signaling in stem cell niche controls intestinal homeostasis
bioRxiv (2022)
K. Dang, A Singh, J. L Cotton, Zhipeng Tao, L.J Zhu

Pharmacological blockade of TEAD–YAP reveals its therapeutic limitation in cancer cells
Nature Communication (2022)
Y Sun, L Hu, Z Tao, G. Jarugumili, H Erb

Mechanisms of autophagic responses to altered nutritional status
Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry (2022)
Zhipeng Tao, H. Aslam, J. Parke, M. Sanchez, Z Cheng

Molecular insights into the multifaceted functions and therapeutic targeting of high mobility group box 1 in metabolic diseases
Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (2022)
Zhipeng Tao, M.N Helms, B.C. Leach, X Wu

Sirt1 coordinates with ERα to regulate autophagy and adiposity
Cell Death Discovery (2021)
Zhipeng Tao, L Shi, J. Parke, L. Zheng, W. Gu

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
Autophagy (2021)
J Daniel Klionsky, Amal Kamal Abdel-Aziz, Sara Abdelfatah, Mahumoud Abdellatif, Asghar Abdoli

Identification of a chitinase from the hepatopancreas of Chinese black sleeper (Bostrychus sinensis)
Acta Oceanologica Sinica (2021)
Y. Chen, Zhipeng Tao, M. Zhang, L Sun, G Liu

Fractional Laser Treatment Boosts Systemic Anti-Tumor Immunity in Combination with OX40 Agonist and PD-1 Blockade
bioRxiv (2021)
M Kawakubo, J Glahn, Zhipeng Tao, S. Demehri, D Manstein

Obesity-associated inflammation induces androgenic to estrogenic switch in the prostate gland
Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2020)
B. Xue, S. Wu, C. Sharkey, S. Tabatabaei, C. Wu

Estradiol signaling mediates gender difference in visceral adiposity via autophagy
Cell Death and Disease (2018)
Zhipeng Tao, L.D Zheng, C. Smith, J. Luo, A. Robinson

FoxO1 interacts with transcription factor EB and differentially regulates mitochondrial uncoupling proteins via autophagy in adipocytes
Cell Death Discovery (2016)
L. Liu, Zhipeng Tao, L.D Zheng, J.P Brooke, C.M Smith

Preparation, characterisation and use for antioxidant oligosaccharides of a cellulase from abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) viscera
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2016)
Zhipeng Tao, L. Sun, X. Qui, Q. Cai, G. Liu

Purification and characterization of a novel angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide derived from abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino) gonads
European Food Research and Technology (2015)
Q. Wu, Q. Cai, Zhipeng Tao, L. Sun, J. Shen

Books

Transcription Factor Regulatory Networks
Methods in Molecular Biology (2023)
Q Song, Zhipeng Tao

Chapters

Assessing the activity of transcription factor FoxO1
in Transcription Factor Regulatory Networks | Springer (2023)
L Shi, Zhipeng Tao

Targeting transcription factors in cancer: from "undruggable" to "druggable"
in Transcription Factor Regulatory Networks | Springer (2023)
Zhipeng Tao, X Wu

Nutritional Regulation of Mitochondrial Health and Its Implication in Treating Obesity and Diabetes: Lessons Learned From the Resveratrol–Sirt1 Axis
in Nutritional Signaling Pathway Activities in Obesity and Diabetes | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) (2020)
Zhipeng Tao, L Shi, Z Cheng

Autophagy in adipocyte differentiation
in Autophagy in Differentiation and Tissue Maintenance | Springer (2019)
Zhipeng Tao, L Liu, L D Zheng, Z Cheng

Internally Funded Projects

Pioneer teaching and Learning Academy Scholar
Texas Women's University | $0.00 | 2024
Research Grant

Teh role of Dehydrogenase reductase family member 9 (Dhrs9) in obesity
Texas Women's University | $3,000.00 | 2024
Research Grant

The quantification of short chain fatty acid in biological specimens
Texas Women's University | $1,000.00 | 2024
Research Grant

The role of HMGB3 autopalmitoylation in uveal melonoma
Texas Women's University | $15,000.00 | 2024
Research Grant

Study the role of HMGB3 in uveal melonoma
Texas Women's University | $8,000.00 | 2024
Research Grant

Chancellor's Research Faculty Scholar
Texas Women's University | $8,000.00 | 2024
Research Grant

TARGET
Texas Women's University | $17,368.00 | 2024
Research Grant

HEF
Texas Women's University | $100,831.00 | 2024
Research Grant

Professional Affiliations

• American Chemical Society
• American Physiological Society
• American Society for Nutrition