Melody Zeng, PhD

Associate Professor of Immunology in Pediatrics

Pediatrics

Contact & profiles

myz4001@med.cornell.edu

Appointments

Associate Professor of Immunology in PediatricsPrimary
Pediatrics · 2025–
Jane and Frederic Hamilton Clinical Scholar in Lipids
Pediatrics · 2026–
Associate Professor
Weill Cornell Graduate School — Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis · 2019–

Past Appointments

Assistant Professor of Immunology in Pediatrics
Pediatrics · 2019–2024

Centers

Clinical & Translational Science Center
Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Centerresearch
Cancer Therapeutics
Drukier Institute for Children's Health
Friedman Center for Nutrition

Education

Ph.D., Microbiology and Immunology
Indiana University School of Medicine, 2012
B.S., Biochemistry, Psychology
State University of New York at Stony Brook, 2006

Overview

The Zeng laboratory is focused on investigating the role of the gut microbiome and diets in maternal-fetal/neonatal immune crosstalk, and the development of neonatal or pediatric inflammatory diseases, such as preterm birth, necrotizing enterocolitis, food allergies, asthma and cancer. Ongoing studies in our laboratory involve in vitro cell biology, microbiology, and immunology assays, disease models in gnotobiotic mice or genetic knockout mice, and examination of clinical samples from newborns, children and pregnant women. Our studies are aimed to identify gut bacteria, bacterial factors or dietary factors that could be potential therapeutic candidates to facilitate appropriate immune responses in the fetus during pregnancy or in the newborn after birth, with the overarching goal of developing preventive approaches to lower the incidence of diseases that may be partly attributed to dysregulated immune cell education in early life.

Zeng Lab Website: www.zeng-lab.org

Highlights

1
Science immunology · 2024
KZKatherine Zabala SanidadHCHannah CarrowRCRyann CallaghanPRPurnima Ravisankar+5 more →MZMelody Zeng
PMID: 38489352PMCID: PMC11328322DOISenior author88 citations
2
Science immunology · 2022
KZKatherine Zabala Sanidad MZMelody Zeng
PMID: 35687695PMCID: PMC9375732DOISenior author68 citations
3
Gut microbes · 2022
JBJulia Brown KZKatherine Zabala Sanidad SLSerena Lucotti MLM. Laura Martin+2 more →MZMelody Zeng
PMID: 35915556PMCID: PMC9348133DOISenior author53 citations

Publications

Funding

12 View NIH portfolio on RePORTER ↗

Active

9 grants

KP
Age-specific antidepressant-gut microbiome interplay in anti-tumor immunity.
National Cancer Institute · 2026–2031Career
K01CA316937-01
PI
Regulation of maternal-fetal immune tolerance by gut metabolites
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2026–2028
INV-111343
KP
Wong | American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship 2026
American Heart Association · 2026–2028
26PRE1562404
KP
Defining the role of premature infant microbial dysbiosis in mediating immune development and response to infection
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2024–2027Fellowship
F32HD112151-02
KP
Defining the stress-gut microbiome interplay in anti-tumor B cell response.
Cancer Research Institute, Inc. · 2024–2027
CRI5755
PI
Megakaryocyte regulation by the gut microbiome
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2023–2027
R01HL169989-04
PI
Immune regulation by the gut microbiome at the maternal-fetal interface
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2022–2026
R01HD110118-03
MPI
Dissecting the interplay between immunoglobulin G and the gut microbiome in cancer progression and metastasis
National Cancer Institute · 2023–2025
R21CA270998-02
PI
Defining the role of stress-induced changes in the IgG-gut microbiomeneutrophil axis during breast cancer progression and metastasis
Starr Cancer Consortium · 2023–2025
SCC I16-0057

Completed grants (3)

PI
Role of gut microbiota-induced IgG in enteric host defense
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases · 2019–2023Career· 2 renewals
K01DK114376-05S1
PI
Interrogating the role of infant gut microbiome in immune responses to RSV infection
Cornell University · 2022–2022
CU 222354-01
KP
The role of premature infant dysbiosis in mediating immune development and response to infection
Biocodex · 2021–2022
BIO 221663-01

Clinical research

Active

1 study

PI
The link between gut dysbiosis and alterations in the metabolome of preterm infants
Weill Medical College of Cornell University · OPEN TO ACCRUAL (as of 2020)

Available technologies

2 View full WCM portfolio ↗

IgG KO Mouse
PMID 35687695
Methods to Improve Maternal-Fetal Tolerance and Pregnancy Success through AhR Receptor Modulation
Provisional filedPoC DataPMID 41412123
11720

News mentions

8 View all WCM news ↗

Stress-Linked Gut Viruses May Help Tumors Evade the Immune System
June 25, 2026
Chronic psychological stress can help tumors evade immune attack through a chain of molecular events involving gut bacteria and viruses within those bacteria, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.
Microbiome May Aid in Successful Pregnancies
December 17, 2025
Gut microbes may play a key role in training a mother’s immune system to adapt to the developing fetus during pregnancy, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.
Gut Bacteria Make Neurotransmitters to Shape the Newborn Immune System
March 15, 2024
Weill Cornell Medicine investigators discovered that unique bacteria colonize the gut shortly after birth and produce the neurotransmitter serotonin which educates gut immune cells and prevents food allergies.
Cancer Research Teams Awarded Grants from Starr Cancer Consortium
February 10, 2023
Five teams led by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists have been awarded funding from the Starr Cancer Consortium in its 16th annual grant competition.
Two Weill Cornell Medicine Faculty Recognized with AAI Awards
January 18, 2023
Two Weill Cornell Medicine faculty members, Dr. Gregory Sonnenberg and Dr. Melody Zeng, are recipients of prestigious awards from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) for their accomplishments in the field of immunology.

Show 3 more mentions

Preclinical Study Suggests Gut Bacteria May Influence Viral Entry, Immune Response and Coagulation in COVID-19
August 17, 2022
A new preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators found that certain bacteria in the gut may reduce susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, improve the immune response and prevent blood clots that can occur in severe COVID-19 illness.
IgG Antibodies in Breast Milk Help Shape Infants’ Gut Bacteria and Immunity
June 10, 2022
A new preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators shows that one specific set of antibodies that is induced naturally by gut beneficial bacteria can be transferred from mothers to infants through breast milk and help infants defend against infection-induced diarrheal illness.
Dr. Melody Zeng Receives a Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award
May 12, 2022
Dr. Melody Zeng, an assistant professor of immunology in pediatrics and a member of the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, has received a 2021 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award from The Hartwell Foundation.

Mentoring

10 All publications with mentees →

1 MD student · 4 PhD students · 5 Postdocs

MD · 1

SR
Stephanie Rager
MD mentee · Class of 2023
- The Gut-Liver Axis in Pediatric Liver Health and Disease.
  Microorganisms · 2023
- SARS CoV-2 detected in neonatal stool remote from maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy.
  Pediatric research · 2022
- Maternal Microbiome and Infections in Pregnancy.
  Microorganisms · 2020
View all 3 →

Overview

Highlights

Publications

Funding

Active

Clinical research

Active

Available technologies

News mentions

Mentoring

MD · 1

PhD · 4

Postdoc · 5