The Cheng Lab @ UVA
We are a basic and translational science lab at the University of Virginia. Our central goal to improve outcomes for children with Hirschsprung disease and other gastrointestinal diseases. To this end, the lab aims to better understand how the enteric nervous system regulates intestinal function.
Improving Care Through Research
A key regulator of normal intestinal function is the enteric nervous system, a “second brain” of over 600 million neurons and glia, which functions independently of the central nervous system. Throughout life, the gastrointestinal tract is subject to significant external factors, such as stretch/distention and infection/inflammation, that may alter the enteric nervous system and the gut microenvironment. Our lab is focused on understanding how these forces affect the enteric nervous system to govern normal bowel function and how perturbations may lead to gut dysfunction. Our overarching goal is to use this knowledge to better inform the treatment of common gastrointestinal diseases such as Hirschsprung disease, chronic idiopathic constipation, and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.
Our Funding
Our Publications
Our Current Projects
How Does Stretch Affect the Gut?
The gastrointestinal tract is in a state of constant motion—the gut stretches and distends with food and the enteric nervous system helps propels it forward. This normal process is interrupted in diseases of the enteric nervous system, like Hirschsprung disease and idiopathic constipation.
Our recent research suggests that stretch has a deleterious effect on enteric neurons both directly and indirectly through changes in the extracellular matrix. We have observed similar changes in both our mouse model of Hirschsprung disease and human patients with chronic obstructive symptoms. We are currently investigating the mechanistic pathways underlying these changes, in hopes of developing new therapies for patients with intestinal dysmotility and dysfunction.
How Can Stiffness Cause Dysfunction?
The extracellular matrix surrounds cells and plays an important role in normal cellular functions. The extracellular matrix is crucial for normal development of the enteric nervous system and likely continues to influence gut function after birth.
We have found that dysfunctional intestine in both our mouse models and in human patients exhibit significant changes in the extracellular matrix. These changes result in a much stiffer microenvironment. We are currently investigating why these changes occur and how they influence the enteric nervous system to cause gut dysfunction.
How Does the Gut Adapt to Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a time of many changes. During pregnancy and lactation, a mother’s gastrointestinal tract must adapt to accommodate the nutritional needs of a growing baby.
Together with the Moore Lab, we seek to better understand the changes that take place in the gastrointestinal tract during pregnancy and lactation. This knowledge will help improve the care of both mother and baby during this critical period of gut development.
Meet Our Team
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Lily Cheng
Principal Investigator
Dr. Lily Cheng is a pediatric surgeon and a scientist. Her ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life for the patients she cares for. She completed her general surgery residency at the University of California San Francisco and her pediatric surgery fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital. In her spare time, she enjoys eating good food and drinking wine.
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Yuwen Zhang
Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Yuwen Zhang joined Cheng Lab in the Department of Surgery at UVA School of Medicine in March of 2024 as a Senior Research Scientist. He earned his MD in 1989 from Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, China, and his PhD in 1997 from Kyoto University, Japan. He has extensive experience and expertise in the fields of molecular, cellular, developmental, and cancer biology.
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Xinghua Liao
Lab Manager
Xinghua serves as the lab manager for the Cheng lab, as well as several other labs. She brings a wealth of experience and expertise in lab management, research methods, and administration.
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Prisca Obidike
Research Resident
Dr. Prisca Obidike is a General Surgery resident at the University of Virginia. She joined the Cheng Lab in the Summer of 2024 as an NIH T32 postdoctoral research fellow. She received her BS in Biology from Lincoln University in 2018 and her MD from Penn State College of Medicine in 2022. She is a current candidate for the Master of Science in Clinical Research at UVA. She is currently interested in Minimally Invasive Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, and Pediatric Surgery. She enjoys trying new restaurants, dancing to afro beats, and reading crime thriller novels in her spare time.
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Michal Sobstel
Masters Student
Michal Sobstel is a Visiting Graduate Research Student in the BioLAB Program (Fulbright Poland). He received his BS in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics in 2022 and is now pursuing an MS in the same field at Jagiellonian University (Poland). In his free time, he enjoys visiting new places, hiking, and listening to music.
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Olivia Jung
Undergraduate Student
Olivia Jung is currently a second year undergraduate student at UVA's College of Arts and Sciences. She completed a preceptorship in the Cheng Lab in 2024 through a course in independent research and now works in the lab part-time under a work-study program. Olivia is interested in a future career in Neuroscience.
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Carlos Justo-Jaume
Medical Student
Carlos Justo-Jaume is currently a second-year medical student at UVA. Carlos completed the Medical Student Summer Research Program in the Cheng Lab in 2024. He completed a BA in Biology as well as a BA in French from the University of Virginia. In his free time, he enjoys staying active, traveling, and playing guitar.
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Taylor Washington
Medical Student
Taylor Washington is a rising 2nd year medical student at UVA. She joined the Cheng Lab as a part of the MSSRP program at UVA. Taylor received her BS in biology in 2021 at LSU. After attending LSU, she received her MS in biochemistry at Tulane University in 2022. In her spare time, she loves cooking, bicycling, making jewelry, and puzzling.
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Chioma Moneme
Research Resident (former)
Dr. Chioma Moneme is a resident in the Department of General Surgery at UVA and a former NIH T32 postdoctoral research fellow. She received her BA in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University in 2015 and a dual MD/MBA from the University of Southern California in 2020. She is interested in pursuing a future career as a pediatric surgeon. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, traveling, weight lifting, and reading a good fiction novel.
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Jacob Kaminer
Medical Student (former)
Jacob Kaminer is currently a second year medical student at UVA. Jacob completed the Medical Student Summer Research Program in the Cheng Lab in 2023. He completed a BS in Chemistry with Biochemistry Specialization in 2021 from the University of Virginia. In his free time, he enjoys long distance running, coaching little league soccer, and going to UVA sports games.
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Britney Hsu
Undergraduate Student (former)
Britney is currently a fourth year undergraduate student at Rice University in Houston, TX. She worked in the Cheng Lab from 2021-2023 characterizing differences in the intestinal extracellular environment in Hirschsprung disease. She is applying to medical school this fall.
