Education

Courses

• Genetics (BIO-261)
• Microbiology (BIO-351)
• The Biology of Cancer (BIO-442)
• Advanced Techniques in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BIO-463)
• Advanced Techniques in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (CHE-463)
• Principles of Epidemiology (HSC-301)

About

Yong Fang Zhu joined Redeemer as an assistant professor in 2023. Prior to joining the faculty, she worked in McMaster Universality as a research scientist in the department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute and Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care. Along with teaching, she is presently serving as a Sciences Adjudicator of the Academic Standards Committee at Redeemer University. She lives in Ancaster with her family and enjoys gardening, hiking, painting and sharing food.

Research Interests

• Animal modeling and computational modeling to improve understanding of the peripheral mechanisms of chronic pain
• Environmental microbial analysis in water quality and application in bioenergy production

Selected Research Publications

Journal Articles

Yong Fang, Zhu, and Kyra White. “Cannabis and Christianity: Scientific, Social, and Theological Reflections on THC and Christian Faith.” Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, 78, no. 3 (2026): 152-167.

Kan, Peter, Yong Fang Zhu, Junling Ma, and Gurmit Singh. “Computational modeling to study the impact of changes in Nav1.8 sodium channel on neuropathic pain.” Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience 18 (2024): 1327986.

Zhu, Yong Fang, Peter Kan, and Gurmit Singh. “Differences and similarities in spontaneous activity between animal models of Cancer-induced pain and Neuropathic pain.” Journal of Pain Research 15 (2022): 3179-3187.

Ungard, Robert G., Yong Fang Zhu, Peter Nakhla, et. al. “Response to pregabalin and progesterone differs in male and female rat models of neuropathic and cancer pain.” Canadian Journal of Pain 4, no. 1 (2020): 39-58 .

Zhu, Yong Fang, Katja Linher-Melville, Mohammed J. Niazmand, et. al. “An evaluation of the anti-hyperalgesic effects of cannabidiolic acid-methylester (CBDA-ME) in apreclinical model of peripheral neuropathic pain.” British Journal of Pharmacology 177, no. 12 (2020): 2712-2725.

Zhu, Yong Fang, Katja Linher-Melville, Jianhan Wu, et. al. “Bone cancer-induced pain is associated with glutamate signaling in peripheral sensory neurons.” Molecular Pain (2020). doi: 10.1177/2F1744806920911536.

Linher-Melville, Katja, Yong Fang Zhu, Jesse Sidhu, et. al. “Evaluation of the preclinical analgesic efficacy of naturally derived, orally administered oil forms of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and their 1:1 combination.” PLOS One 15, no. 6 (2020): e0234176. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, Jacek M. Kwiecien, Wojciech Dabrowski, et. al. “Cancer pain and neuropathic pain are associated with A β sensory neuronal plasticity in dorsal root ganglia and abnormal sprouting in lumbar spinal cord.” Molecular Pain 14 (2018): 1-15. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, Robert Ungard, Natalie Zacal, et. al. “Rat model of cancer-induced bone pain: changes in nonnociceptive sensory neurons in vivo.” Pain reports 2 (2017): 1-10. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, Xuan-Yu Wang, Sean P. Parsons, and Jan D. Huizinga. “Stimulus-induced pacemaker activity in interstitial cells of Cajal associated with the deep muscular plexus of the small intestine.” Neurogastroenterol and Motility 28, no. 7 (2016): 74. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, Robert Ungard, Eric Seidlitz, et. al. “Differences in electrophysiological properties of functionally identified nociceptive sensory neurons in an animal model of cancer-induced bone pain.” Molecular Pain 1, no. 12 (2016): 1-4. 

Huizinga, Jan D., Sean P. Parsons, Ji-Hong Chen, Andrew Pawelka, Marc Pistilli, Chunpei Li, Yuanjie Yu, Pengfei Ye, Qing Liu, Mengting Tong, Yong Fang Zhu, Defei Wei. “Motorpatterns of the small intestine explained by phase-amplitude coupling of two pacemaker activities: the critical importance of propagation velocity.” American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology 309, no. 6 (2015): 403-414. 

Huizinga, Jan D., Ji-Hong Chen, Yong Fang Zhu, et. al. “The origin of segmentation motor activity in the intestine.” Nature Communication 5 (2014): 3326. 

Wang, Xuan-Yu, Ji-Hong Chen, Kongling Li, Yong Fang Zhu, George W. J. Wright, Jan D. Huizinga. “Discrepancies between c-Kit positive and Ano1 positive ICC-SMP in the W/Wv and wild-type mouse colon.” Neyrogastroenterol Motil. 26, no. 9 (2014): 1298-1310. 

Huizinga, Jan D., Ji-Hong Chen, Hanna B. Mikkelsen, Xuan-Yu Wang, Sean P. Parsons, Yong Fang Zhu. “Interstitial cells of Cajal,from structure to function.” Frontiers in neuroscience 7 (2013): 1-2. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, Xuan-Yu Wang, Bobbi-Jo Lowie, et. al. “Enteric sensory neurons communicate with interstitial cells of Cajal to affect pacemaker activity in the small intestine.” Pflugers Archiv: European journal of physiology 466 (2013): 1467-1475. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, Qi Wu, and James L. Henry. “Changes in functional properties of A-type but not C-type sensory neurons in vivo in a rat model of peripheral neuropathy.” Journal of Pain Research 5 (2012): 175-192. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S26367. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, and James L. Henry. “Excitability of Aβ sensory neurons is altered in an animal model of peripheral neuropathy.” BMC Neuroscience 13, no. 15 (2012). doi: 10.1186/1471-2202-13-15. 

Pau, Victor P. T., Yong Fang Zhu, Zhiguang Yuchi, Quyen Q. Hoang, and Daniel S. Yang. “Characterization of the C-terminal domain of a potassium channel from Streptomyces lividans (KcsA).” The Journal of Biological Chemistry 282 (2007): 29163-29169. 

Conference Publications

Kan, Peter, Junling Ma, and Yong Fang Zhu. “Study the mechanism of increased excitability of A-type sensory neuron on neuropathic pain by computational modeling.” The 3rd International Conference on Controversies in Pain, Brussels, Belgium, 2023.

Zhu, Yong Fang, Katja Linher-Melville, Jianhan Wu, et. al. “Bone cancer pain is associated with glutamatergic signaling in peripheral sensory neurons.” 17th IASP World Congress on Pain, Boston, MA, 2018. 

Zhu, Yong Fang, Eric Seidlitz, Robert Ungard, et. al. “Electrophysiological studies on an animal model of cancer induced bone pain indicate a different role of mechanical sensory neurons in cancer pain.” 16th IASP World Congress on Pain, Yokohama, Japan, 2016.

Zhu, Yong Fang, Robert Ungard, and Gurmit Singh. “Differences in electrophysiological properties of functionally identified nociceptive sensory neurons in an animal model of cancer-induced bone pain.” Persistent Post-Surgical Pain – A Model for the Study of Chronic Pain, Hamilton, ON, 2015.

Zhu, Yong Fang, Robert Ungard, Eric Seidlitz, et. al. “Ectopic activity of nociceptive sensory neurons in an animal model of bone cancer pain.” Neuroscience 2015- Society of Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, 2015.

Zhu, Yong Fang, Qi Wu, and James L. Henry. “Functional changes in A-type but not C-type in an animal model of peripheral neuropathy.” Canadian Pain Society, Calgary, AB, 2012. 

Wu, Qi, Yong Fang Zhu, and James L. Henry. “Comparison of changes in physiological properties of large diameter DRG neurons in animal models of osteoarthritis & neuropathic pain.” IASP, 12th World Congress on Pain. Glasgow, Scotland, UK, 2008.

Zhu, Yong Fang, Qi Wu, and James L. Henry. “Increased excitability of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurones in an animal model of neuropathic pain.” Neuroscience, the 38th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience, Washington, DC, 2008.

Speaking Invitations

Zhu, Yong Fang. “A preliminary trial for computational analysis and modeling on peripheral pain.” McMaster Research Day for Pain at RBG, Canada, 2022.

Zhu, Yong Fang. “Differences in spontaneous activity between animal models of Cancer-induced pain and Neuropathic pain.” International Symposium on Biomedical Engineering and Computational Biology, China, 2021.

Zhu, Yong Fang. “Differences in electrophysiological properties of functionally identified nociceptive sensory neurons in an animal model of cancer-induced bone pain.” Persistent Post-Surgical Pain – A Model for the Study of Chronic Pain, Canada, 2015.

Zhu, Yong Fang. “Enteric sensory neurons communicate with interstitial cells of Cajal to affect pacemaker activity in the small intestine.” Canadian Digestive Diseases Week, Canada, 2014.

Zhu, Yong Fang. “ICC and nervous system.” VIIth International Symposium on Interstitial cells of Cajal, Italy, 2012.

Awards and Certifications 

• Pain Research & Care Seed Grants Award, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2022-2023
• Clinical Trials Certification, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2014-2015
• Michael G. DeGroote Postdoctoral Fellowship Award for Pain, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2014-2016
• CDDW 2014 Exhibit Draw Winners, Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, 2014
• Programs Award for Graduate Students, Faculty of Health Sciences Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2011
• Canadian Pain Society Membership, Canadian Pain Society, 2008
• Lillian Rose Stegne Memorial Stipend, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2008-2009
• Medical Science Entrance scholarship, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON 2007-2008
• Dean’s Honor List, Computer Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 2002
• Top 10 Young People in Shanghai Awards, Shanghai Youth Union, China, 1999
• Petrochemical Industrial Scholarship, East China Normal University, China, 1996-1999
• Top Graduate Student Awards, Nanjing Normal University, China, 1990