对于查向明副教授来说，扩大他的合作网络是他搬到威尼斯人娱乐城的一个关键考虑因素。 “It’s hard for one lab to get everything done,” said Zha. “When you build up that network, your research gains more opportunities.”
该网络包括与威尼斯人娱乐城医学院的Chu Xiangping博士长达十年的合作。 Now he is expanding his network to include the 威尼斯人娱乐城 药学院, where he’s joined the faculty, continuing his research focused on brain function with a general interest in neuroscience. The crux of his research centers around the study of pH – a scale used to specify acidity – in the brain that contributes to neuron function and ischemic brain injury. 最近，他开始研究pH值在脑血管功能中的作用。
2004年，当他在爱荷华大学做博士后的时候，他看到了这个研究领域的机会，因为这个领域很少被探索。 在威尼斯人娱乐城之前，他在南阿拉巴马大学（美国）医学院工作。 “At USA, I was fortunate to work with a group of excellent collaborators,” said Zha. “The good thing about moving from medicine to pharmacy is that I still maintain all the previous connections. At the same time, it allows me to build new connections and thus explore new directions of research.”
That’s what has him excited about his move to 威尼斯人娱乐城 药学院. The move has additional benefits as he can lean on the school’s pharmacology and pharmaceutical researchers. 他一直在研究酸敏感离子通道和酸敏感gpcr。 根据Zha的说法，很少有可行的药物选择来激活或抑制大脑中的这些酸受体。
“There are a couple of pharmaceutical compounds available but none are ideal and that’s the challenging part,” said Zha. “If we have a more specific compound which can turn on and off the receptors, we may be able to better understand these acids.”
解开这方面的研究可以帮助理解大脑中酸度水平的二元性。 太多的酸不是一件好事，但最近的研究数据表明，酸可能有一定的保护作用。 To target the benefits of the acid, Zha needs to know more about the receptor and signaling involved, which aren’t well-defined yet.
这些挑战使他的整个职业生涯都保持着研究兴趣。 查承认，研究依赖于资助，以前的研究是成功获得资助的关键。
“One important part for that to happen, is having good people,”said Zha.
鼓励有兴趣参与他的研究工作的学生和研究员与他联系。