Dr. Zhou's goal is to address fundamental questions in biology by bridging structural biology with cellular and molecular physiology. Using structural biology techniques including cellular cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET) combined with optical imaging and electrophysiological methods, Dr. Zhou will focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms of vesicle-mediated cell-to-cell communication in the central nervous system. In the long term, he will apply knowledge gained from above mechanistic studies to investigate how dysfunction in certain aspects of neurotransmitter release and neuronal development contributes to brain disorders including brain tumors.