Dr. Cheng is a neuroscientist researching synaptic transmission in physiological and pathological conditions. She joined the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Institute (JLC-BBRI) to manage the imaging facility to support health disparities translational research at NCCU in 2019.
She received Ph.D. training at the University of Rochester and postdoctoral training at Duke University. Currently, her research focuses on Alzheimer's disease, which affects African Americans disproportionally. Specifically, her group is investigating the effect of APOE4 on the function of nicotinic receptors in hippocampal neurons.