D (Deli) Zhang

My long-term goal is to prevent and alleviate suffering caused by human cardiac diseases associated with ageing and metabolic stress.
I am deeply committed to translational research in cardiac health, driven by a strong motivation to develop and apply cutting-edge technologies to advance human health. I integrate my multidisciplinary background in molecular genetics (MSc, SYSU), pharmacology (PhD, UMCG), physiology (Postdoc, VUmc), and nutrition and metabolism (WUR), which together provide a strong foundation to achieve this goal.
Atrial fibrillation and heart failure are among the most common age-related cardiac diseases, often driven by shared risk factors, particularly metabolic stress. The aim of my current research is to elucidate the mechanistic links between these risk factors and the pathogenesis of cardiac arrhythmias and dysfunction. Ultimately, this work seeks to identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies to prevent cardiac arrhythmias and dysfunction, including atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
This research is supported by the NWO Veni Talent Grant, Dutch Heart Foundation Postdoctoral and Senior Scientist Grants, and the Wageningen University Starter and Incentive Grants. In addition, several PhD candidates  are supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and provincial scholarships.