Ruifeng Zhao
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Ruifeng Zhao’s research interests center on mammalian preimplantation embryo development, reproductive biology, and developmental biology. He is particularly interested in understanding how early embryos maintain developmental robustness through chromosome/ploidy self-correction and cytoskeletal reorganization, as well as how these mechanisms regulate cell division and lineage development. His research also explores embryonic stem cells, embryo engineering, and reproductive biotechnology, with the goal of translating fundamental discoveries in early development into improved assisted reproductive technologies.
Education
- Ph.D., Animal Science (Growth and Reproductive Physiology), University of Connecticut, 2026
- M.S., Animal Science (Animal Genetics), Yangzhou University, 2019
- B.S., Animal Science, Yangzhou University, 2016
Research Areas / Expertise
- Preimplantation Embryo Development
- Embryonic Stem Cells
- Cytoskeletal
- Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Selected Publications
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Zhao, R., Liu, J., Bakhtari, A., Shen, J., Fayad-Costa, A., Wang, B., & Tian, X. (2025). Evidence against the role of toll-like receptors 7 and 8 in sex selection in mice, cattle, and humans. iScience, 28(9), Article 113164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113164
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Su, Y., Zhao, R., Fang, Y., Renxiu, M., Li, G., Jin, L., Liu, J., Yang, Z., Li, N., Zhu, J., Mishra, N., Kaback, D., Yee, S. P., Luo, Y., Wan, W., Zhao, Y., Wang, X., Han, S., Xiao, P., … Tian, X. (Cindy). (2026). Bovine formative embryonic stem cell plasticity in embryonic and extraembryonic differentiation. Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio), 44(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/stmcls/sxaf068
Professional Profiles
| ruifeng.zhao@uconn.edu |