Associate Professor Yiwen Zheng

Position	Research Associate Professor
Department	Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Qualifications	BSc PhD
Research summary	Auditory system, tinnitus, tinnitus treatment, vestibular system, hippocampus, spatial learning / memory, neuroplasticity, neurotransmitters

Research

My research concerns two main areas. One is to investigate the CNS mechanisms underlying the generation and perception of tinnitus, also known as ringing in the ears, and to develop effective treatment for tinnitus. The other is to investigate how the vestibular system, the balance organ in the inner ear, contributes to the integration of the sensory information by the hippocampus, a part of the brain known to be important in learning and memory.

My research involves the use of a range of pharmacological, neurochemical, electrophysiological and behavioural techniques and is currently funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council, the New Zealand Neurological Foundation, Jean Cathie Bequest, Brain Research New Zealand and the Eisdell Moore Centre for Research on Hearing and Balance Disorders.

Publications

He, J., Zhu, Y., Aa, J., Smith, P. F., De Ridder, D., Wang, G., & Zheng, Y. (2017). Brain metabolic changes in rats following acoustic trauma. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 11, 148. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00148

Zheng, Y., Gliddon, C. M., Aitken, P., Stiles, L., Machado, M.-L., Philoxene, B., … Smith, P. F., & Besnard, S. (2017). Effects of acute altered gravity during parabolic flight and/or vestibular loss on cell proliferation in the rat dentate gyrus. Neuroscience Letters, 654, 120-124. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.06.033

Aitken, P., Zheng, Y., & Smith, P. F. (2018). The modulation of hippocampal theta rhythm by the vestibular system. Journal of Neurophysiology, 119(2), 548-562. doi: 10.1152/jn.00548.2017

Balabhadrapatruni, S., Zheng, Y., Napper, R., & Smith, P. F. (2016). Basal dendritic length is reduced in the rat hippocampus following bilateral vestibular deafferentation. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, 131, 56-60. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.03.009

Smith, P. F., & Zheng, Y. (2016). Cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors and tinnitus. Hearing Research, 332, 210-216. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2015.09.014

Journal - Research Article

Aitken, P., Zheng, Y., & Smith, P. F. (2018). The modulation of hippocampal theta rhythm by the vestibular system. Journal of Neurophysiology, 119(2), 548-562. doi: 10.1152/jn.00548.2017

Journal - Research Article

Smith, P. F., & Zheng, Y. (2016). Cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors and tinnitus. Hearing Research, 332, 210-216. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2015.09.014

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Reid, P., & Smith, P. F. (2015). Cannabinoid CB₁ receptor agonists do not decrease, but may increase, acoustic trauma-induced tinnitus in rats. Frontiers in Neurology, 6, 60. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00060

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Stiles, L., Chien, Y.-T., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2014). The effects of acute stress-induced sleep disturbance on acoustic trauma-induced tinnitus in rats. BioMed Research International, 2014, 724195. doi: 10.1155/2014/724195

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Geddes, L., Sato, G., Stiles, L., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2014). Galvanic vestibular stimulation impairs cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the rat hippocampus but not spatial memory. Hippocampus, 24(5), 541-552. doi: 10.1002/hipo.22247

Journal - Research Article

Smith, P. F., & Zheng, Y. (2013). From ear to uncertainty: Vestibular contributions to cognitive function. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7, 84. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2013.00084

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Vagal, S., McNamara, E., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2012). A dose–response analysis of the effects of L-baclofen on chronic tinnitus caused by acoustic trauma in rats. Neuropharmacology, 62, 940-946. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.09.027

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., McPherson, K., Reid, P., & Smith, P. F. (2015). The anti-inflammatory selective melanocortin receptor subtype 4 agonist, RO27-3225, fails to prevent acoustic trauma-induced tinnitus in rats. European Journal of Pharmacology, 761, 206-210. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.05.007

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., McPherson, K., & Smith, P. F. (2014). Effects of early and late treatment with L-baclofen on the development and maintenance of tinnitus caused by acoustic trauma in rats. Neuroscience, 258, 410-421. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.11.032

Journal - Research Article

Smith, P. F., & Zheng, Y. (2014). Cannabis, cannabinoids and tinnitus. Journal of Pharmacology & Drug Metabolism, 1, 1-6. Retrieved from http://www.jscholaronline.org/journals/journal-of-pharmacology-and-drug-metabolism/jhome.php

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Wilson, G., Stiles, L., & Smith, P. F. (2013). Glutamate receptor subunit and calmodulin kinase II expression, with and without T maze training, in the rat hippocampus following bilateral vestibular deafferentation. PLoS ONE, 8(2), e54527. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054527

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., McNamara, E., Stiles, L., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2012). Evidence that memantine reduces chronic tinnitus caused by acoustic trauma in rats. Frontiers in Neurology, 3, 127. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00127

Journal - Research Article

Neo, P., Carter, D., Zheng, Y., Smith, P., Darlington, C., & McNaughton, N. (2012). Septal elicitation of hippocampal theta rhythm did not repair cognitive and emotional deficits resulting from vestibular lesions. Hippocampus, 22(5), 1176-1187. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20963

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Begum, S., Zhang, C., Fleming, K., Masumura, C., Zhang, M., Smith, P., & Darlington, C. (2011). Increased BrdU incorporation reflecting DNA repair, neuronal de-differentiation or possible neurogenesis in the adult cochlear nucleus following bilateral cochlear lesions in the rat. Experimental Brain Research, 210(3-4), 477-487. doi: 10.1007/s00221-010-2491-0

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Hamilton, E., Stiles, L., McNamara, E., de Waele, C., Smith, P. F., & Darlington, C. L. (2011). Acoustic trauma that can cause tinnitus impairs impulsive control but not performance accuracy in the 5-choice serial reaction time task in rats. Neuroscience, 180, 75-84. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.02.040

Journal - Research Article

Baek, J. H., Zheng, Y., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2011). Cannabinoid CB₁ receptor expression and affinity in the rat hippocampus following bilateral vestibular deafferentation. Neuroscience Letters, 487(3), 330-334. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.10.050

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Hamilton, E., Begum, S., Smith, P. F., & Darlington, C. L. (2011). The effects of acoustic trauma that can cause tinnitus on spatial performance in rats. Neuroscience, 186, 48-56. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.04.052

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Hamilton, E., McNamara, E., Smith, P. F., & Darlington, C. L. (2011). The effects of chronic tinnitus caused by acoustic trauma on social behaviour and anxiety in rats. Neuroscience, 193, 143-153. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.07.026

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Mason-Parker, S. E., Logan, B., Darlington, C. L., Smith, P. F., & Abraham, W. C. (2010). Hippocampal synaptic transmission and LTP in vivo are intact following bilateral vestibular deafferentation in the rat. Hippocampus, 20(4), 461-468. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20645

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Masumura, C., Chung, P., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2010). Cell proliferation and survival in the vestibular nucleus following bilateral vestibular deafferentation in the adult rat. Neuroscience Letters, 468(1), 85-88. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2009.10.070

Journal - Research Article

Baek, J. H., Zheng, Y., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2010). Evidence that spatial memory deficits following bilateral vestibular deafferentation in rats are probably permanent. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, 94(3), 402-413. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2010.08.007

Journal - Research Article

Smith, P. F., Geddes, L. H., Baek, J.-H., Darlington, C. L., & Zheng, Y. (2010). Modulation of memory by vestibular lesions and galvanic vestibular stimulation. Frontiers in Neurology, 1, 141. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2010.00141

Journal - Research Other

Smith, P. F., Darlington, C. L., & Zheng, Y. (2010). Move it or lose it: Is stimulation of the vestibular system necessary for normal spatial memory? Hippocampus, 20(1), 36-43. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20588

Journal - Research Other

Zheng, Y., Vagal, S., Zhu, X.-X., de Waele, C., Smith, P. F., Wang, G., Zhang, M., & Darlington, C. L. (2010). The effects of the Chinese herbal medicine EMF01 on salicylate-induced tinnitus in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 128(2), 545-548. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.01.053

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Stiles, L., Hamilton, E., Smith, P. F., & Darlington, C. L. (2010). The effects of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, WIN55,212-2 and CP55,940, on salicylate-induced tinnitus in rats. Hearing Research, 268(1-2), 145-150. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2010.05.015

Journal - Research Article

Darlington, C. L., Goddard, M., Zheng, Y., & Smith, P. F. (2009). Anxiety-related behavior and biogenic amine pathways in the rat following bilateral vestibular lesions. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1164(1), 134-139. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2008.03725.x

Journal - Research Article

Smith, P. F., Brandt, T., Strupp, M., Darlington, C. L., & Zheng, Y. (2009). Balance before reason in rats and humans. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1164(1), 127-133. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2008.03726.x

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Balabhadrapatruni, S., Masumura, C., Munro, O., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2009). Bilateral vestibular deafferentation causes deficits in a 5-choice serial reaction time task in rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 203, 113-117. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.04.027

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Goddard, M., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2009). Long-term deficits on a foraging task after bilateral vestibular deafferentation in rats. Hippocampus, 19(5), 480-486. doi: 10.1002/hipo.20533

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Goddard, M., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2008). Effects of bilateral vestibular deafferentation on anxiety-related behaviours in Wistar rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 193(1), 55-62. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.04.018

Journal - Research Article

Baek, J.-H., Zheng, Y., Darlington, C. L., & Smith, P. F. (2008). Cannabinoid CB2 receptor expression in the rat brainstem cochlear and vestibular nuclei. Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 128(9), 961-967. doi: 10.1080/00016480701796944

Journal - Research Article

Zheng, Y., Hooton, K., Smith, P. F., & Darlington, C. L. (2008). Carbamazepine reduces the behavioural manifestations of tinnitus following salicylate treatments in rats. Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 128(1), 48-52. doi: 10.1080/00016480701361939

Journal - Research Article

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Associate Professor Yiwen Zheng

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