Email

yonghuazhao@um.edu.mo

Tel

(853) 8822-4877

Office

N22-6043

Consultation Hours

Tue: 15:00-17:30
Thu: 15:00-17:30

Yonghua ZHAO 趙永華

Associate Professor

Academic Qualifications

  • Doctor of Chinese Internal Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, China
  • Master of Integrative Clinical Medicine, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
  • Bachelor of Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, China

Teaching

HSCI3009Chinese MedicineB.Sc. Course
CMED7001Pharmacology and Safety EvaluationM.Sc. Course
CMED7019Standardization and Quality Management of Chinese MedicineM.Sc. Course
CMED8005Quality Research in Chinese MedicinePhD Course

Research Interests

  • Research Interests
  • Chinese medicines research on stroke -induced metabolic reprogramming and thrombolytic resistance
  • Extracellular vesicles and biomimetic nanomaterials for ischemic stroke treatment
  • Neurocognitive disorders study based on Gut-brain axis
  • Functional foods for intervention of metabolic syndrome
  • Clinical trials of cardio/cerebral vascular and metabolic diseases

Dr. Yonghua ZHAO has abundant Chinese Medical experiences on the study and treatment of cardio/cerebral vascular disease. He had ever worked in the department of emergency internal medicine as Physician in the First Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Macau University of Science and Technology, respectively.  In 2019, he moved to Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, engaging in pharmacological research and teaching of Chinese Medicine. Dr. Zhao hosted nine projects funded by The Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) of Macao Special Administrative Region, one project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Programme), and one project funded by Guangdong Natural Science Fund (General Programme), as well as some grants from UM. He has published 94 SCI papers, and was selected in the list of Stanford/Elsevier top 2% Scientists worldwide for 2025.

We are actively looking for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows who can participate in our research projects on Neuroimmune , Extracellular vesicles, and Gut -brain axis. For further information, please contact Dr. Zhao:  yonghuazhao@um.edu.mo

  1.  Jinfen Chen; XingPing Quan; Yiyang Li; Junming Chen; Jiacheng Hu; Manfei Zhou; Ying Chen; Jiali Chen; Caisheng Wu; Hua Yu; Yonghua Zhao*. Siegesbeckia orientalis ethanol extract impedes RAGE-CD11b interaction driven by HMGB1 to alleviate neutrophil-involved neuronal injury poststroke. Phytomedicine. 2025, 139:156541. (IF: 8.3)
  2. Yiyang Li, Xingping Quan, Jiacheng Hu, Yan Han, Jinfen Chen, Manfei Zhou, Fan Zhang, Yayue Yang, Mingchun Liao, Bin Wang, Yonghua Zhao*. BMSCs-derived small extracellular vesicles antagonize cerebral endothelial Caveolin-1 driven autophagic degradation of tight-junction proteins to protect blood-brain barrier post-stroke. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 2025, 21(2): 842-859. (IF: 10)
  3. Xingping Quan, Chang Liu, Jinfen Chen, Yiyang Li, Zhen Yuan, Ying Zheng, Greta S P Mok, Ruibing Wang*, Yonghua Zhao*. Neutrophil-Mimetic Upconversion Photosynthetic Nanosystem Derived from Microalgae for Targeted Treatment of Thromboembolic Stroke. ACS Nano. 2024, 18(44): 30307–30320. (IF: 16)
  4. Jiali Chen, Yiyang Li, Xingping Quan, Jinfen Chen, Yan Han, Li Yang, Manfei Zhou, Greta Seng Peng Mok, Ruibing Wang, Yonghua Zhao*. Utilizing engineered extracellular vesicles as delivery vectors in the management of ischemic stroke: a special outlook on mitochondrial delivery. Neural Regeneration Research, 2025, 20(8): 2181-2198. (IF: 6.7)
  5. Yiyang Li, Jiali Chen, Xingping Quan, Ying Chen, Yan Han, Jinfen Chen, Li Yang, Youhua Xu, Xu Shen, Ruibing Wang, Yonghua Zhao*. Extracellular Vesicles Maintain Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity by the Suppression of Caveolin-1/CD147/VEGFR2/MMP Pathway After Ischemic Stroke. International Journal of Nanomedicine. 2024, 19: 1451–1467. (IF: 8.0)
  6. Yan Han, Xinglin Zeng, Lin Hua, Xingping Quan, Ying Chen, Manfei Zhou, Yaochen Chuang, Yang Li, Shengpeng Wang, Xu Shen, Lai Wei, Zhen Yuan*, Yonghua Zhao*. The fusion of multi-omics profile and multimodal EEG data contributes to the personalized diagnostic strategy for neurocognitive disorders. Microbiome. 2024, 12(1):12. (IF: 15.5)
  7. Jinfen Chen, Pengde Lu, Jiayue Liu, Li Yang, Yiyang Li, Yanling Chen, Yitao Wang, Jianbo Wan*, Yonghua Zhao*. 20(S)-protopanaxadiol saponins isolated from Panax notoginseng target the binding of HMGB1 to TLR4 against inflammation in experimental ulcerative colitis. Phytotherapy research. 2023, 37 (10): 4690–4705. (IF: 7.2)
  8. Pengde Lu, Jinfen Chen, Ying Chen, Xingping Quan, Jiayue Liu, Yan Han, Yiyang Li, Li Yang, Jian-Bo Wan*, and Yonghua Zhao*. 20(S)-protopanaxadiol saponins isolated from Panax notoginseng target caveolin-1 against intestinal barrier dysfunction by alleviating inflammatory injury and oxidative stress in experimental murine colitis. Food Frontiers. 2023, 4: 2081–2096. (IF: 6.9)
  9. Xingping Quan, Xiao Liang, Yuanfu Ding, Yan Han, Junyan Li, Mengchen Yuan, Yiyang Li, Zhen Yuan, Ruibing Wang*, and Yonghua Zhao*. Cryo-Shocked Platelet Coupled with ROS-Responsive Nanomedicine for Targeted Treatment of Thromboembolic Disease. ACS Nano. 2023, 17(7):6519-6533. (IF: 18.027)
  10. Yiyang Li, Bowen Liu, Tingting Zhao, Xingping Quan, Yan Han, Yaxin Cheng, Yanling Chen, Xu Shen, Ying Zheng, Yonghua Zhao*. Comparative study of extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells and brain endothelial cells attenuating blood-brain barrier permeability via regulating Caveolin-1-dependent ZO-1 and Claudin-5 endocytosis in acute ischemic stroke. Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 2023, 21(1):70. (IF: 12.6)
  11. Peng-De Lu, Meng-Chen Yuan, Xing-Ping Quan, Jin-Fen Chen, Yong-Hua Zhao*. Preclinical studies of licorice in ulcerative colitis: A systematic review with meta-analysis and network pharmacology. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2022, 296: (IF: 5.4)
  12. Xingping Quan, Yan Han, Pengde Lu, Yuanfu Ding, Qingfu Wang, Yiyang Li, Jianwen Wei, Qiaoxian Huang, Ruibing Wang*, Yonghua Zhao*. Annexin V-modified platelet-biomimetic nanomedicine for targeted therapy of acute ischemic stroke. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2022, e2200416. (IF: 11.092)
  13. Yan Han, Xingping Quan, Yaochen Chuang, Xingqiao Liang, Yang Li, Zhen Yuan, Ying Bian, Lai Wei, Ji Wang, Yonghua Zhao*. A multi-omics analysis for prediction of neurocognitive disorders risk among the elderly in Macao. Clinical and Translational Medicine. 2022, 12(6): e909. (IF: 11.492)
  14. Bowen Liu, Tingting Zhao, Yiyang Li, Yan Han, Youhua Xu, Hua Yang, Shengpeng Wang, Yonghua Zhao*, Ping Li, Yitao Wang*. Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction to circumvent neuronal energy failure in acute phase of focal cerebral ischemia. Phytotherapy Research. 2022, 36(5):2223-2235. (IF: 5.882)
  15. Lu Shi, Yongcheng An, Long Cheng, Yiyang Li, Huimin Li, Chen Wang, Yinglan Lv, Yuhui Duan, Hongyu Dai, Changhao He, Huilin Zhang, Yan Huang, Wanxin Fu, ShengPeng Wang, Baosheng Zhao*, Yitao Wang, Yonghua Zhao*. Qingwei San treats oral ulcer subjected to stomach heat syndrome in db/db mice by targeting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Chinese Medicine. 2022, 17(1):1. (IF: 5.455 )
  16. Meng Xu, Tao Feng, Bowen Liu, Fen Qiu, Youhua Xu, Yonghua Zhao*, and Ying Zheng*. Engineered exosomes: desirable target-tracking characteristics for cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disease therapies. Theranostics. 2021; 11(18): 8926 – (IF: 11.556)
  17. Bowen Liu, Yiyang Li, Yan Han, Shengpeng Wang, Hua Yang, Yonghua Zhao*, Ping Li, Yitao Wang*. Notoginsenoside R1 intervenes degradation and redistribution of tight junctions to ameliorate blood-brain barrier permeability by Caveolin-1/MMP2/9 pathway after acute ischemic stroke. Phytomedicine. 2021, 90:153660. (IF: 5.340)
  18. Yiyang Li, Bowen Liu, Ying Chen, Xingping Quan, Yan Han, Ying Zheng*, Yonghua Zhao*. Extracellular Vesicle Application as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Ischemic Stroke. Translational Stroke Research. 2022, 13(1):171-187. (IF: 6.829)
  19. Erdan Luo, Daiyan Zhang, Hua Luo, Bowen Liu, Keming Zhao, Yonghua Zhao*, Ying Bian*, Yitao Wang. Treatment efficacy analysis of traditional Chinese medicine for novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19): an empirical study from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese Medicine. 2020, 15:34. (IF: 2.960)
  20. Zhen-Yan Xia, Cheng Luo, Bo-Wen Liu, Xi-Qing Bian, Yang Li, Ai-Ming Pang, You-Hua Xu, Hong-Mei Tan*, Yong-Hua Zhao*. Shengui Sansheng Pulvis maintains blood-brain barrier integrity by vasoactive intestinal peptide after ischemic stroke. Phytomedicine. 2020, 67:153158. (IF: 4.180)

  1. Xingping Quan, Xiaofeng Gong, and Yonghua Zhao. Chapter: Novel Therapeutic Strategy Based on Nanomedicine Targeting Thrombosis for SARS-CoV-2 in Bioactive Compounds Against SARS-CoV-2. CRC Press, 2023: 221-229.
  2. Yonghua Zhao, Yitao Wang. Chapter: The collaborative status and perspective of traditional medicine field between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC AND TRADE COOPERATION BETWEEN CHINA AND PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES （2018-2019）. Social Sciences Academic Press (China), 2020-04, 177-187.
  3. Yonghua Zhao, Chapter: Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Medical Textbook of National Designation: Chinese Medicine. Higher Education Press, 2018, 167-216.
  4. Qian Zhang and Yonghua Zhao, Chapter: Combination treatment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and Angelica sinensis’ active ingredients for ischemic stroke in Cellular and Molecular Approaches to Regeneration & Repair. Springer Press, 2017: 239-257.
  5. Yonghua Zhao, Current Topics on Chinese Medical Treatment of Internal Medical Diseases, Macau University of Science and Technology Press, 2010.

Member, Conselho dos Profissionais de Saúde, Macao SAR, 2024-present

Deputy Director, Chinese Medicine (SCIE), 2022-present

Editorial Board Member, Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (SCIE), 2022-present 

The secretary general, International Society for Chinese Medicine, 2024-present

The vice president, General Hospital Specialty Committee of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, 2023-present

Council Member, Hypertension Specialty Committee of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, 2021-present

Committee Member, The Worldwide Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Physicians, 2024-present

Member, The Guiding Committee for Bachelor’s degree Teaching of Clinical Integrating Chinese with Western medicine in Guangdong Province higher education, 2019-2023

Chinese Medical license, the Health Bureau of Macao Special Administrative Region, 2007

Middle level specialty and technology license, the Personnel Ministry of PR China, 2003

Integrative medical license, Ministry of Health, PR China, 2002.