https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3358-8459
Overview
Dr. Zhang is Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology. He earned his Ph.D. from University of Massachusetts Medical School in 2014. Skipped PostDoc training, Dr. Zhang established his own research group in 2014 at Carnegie Institution for Science, Department of Embryology, which is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. In 2019, he was recruited to Duke University as the inaugural Duke Science and Technology Scholar. His lab studies transposons and circular DNA during development and tumorigenesis. His research has been recognized by multiple awards, including NIH Director's Early Independence Award, the Larry Sandler Award from the Genetics Society of America, the Sontag Distinguished Scientist Award for brain tumor research, and Pew Biomedical Scholar.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
·
2025 - Present
Pharmacology & Cancer Biology,
Basic Science Departments
Assistant Professor of Cell Biology
·
2022 - Present
Cell Biology,
Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute
·
2019 - Present
Duke Human Vaccine Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
·
2019 - Present
Duke Cancer Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center
·
2021 - Present
Duke Regeneration Center,
Basic Science Departments
Recent Publications
BRCA1-A and LIG4 complexes mediate ecDNA biogenesis and cancer drug resistance.
Journal Article Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · March 17, 2026 Extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA) is frequently generated within the nucleus, contributing to genome dynamics and heterogeneity, thereby promoting cancer cell evolution and adaptation. However, the mechanisms underlying ecDNA biogenesis remain poorly u ... Full text Link to item CiteRetrotransposon activation during spermatogenesis achieves massive ecDNA biogenesis but rare integration.
Journal Article Genes Dev · March 2, 2026 Retrotransposon mobilization in germline cells enables the rewriting of genetic information to drive genome innovation, species evolution, and adaptation through the generation of de novo mutations. However, uncontrolled mobilization can cause DNA breaks a ... Full text Link to item CiteTranscriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of transposable elements and their roles in development and disease.
Journal Article Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol · October 2025 Nearly half of the genome of humans and other mammals consists of transposable elements (TEs). Recent advancements in sequencing technologies have revealed that TEs have important regulatory functions, echoing Barbara McClintock's 1950s vision of TEs as 'c ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Mechanism, regulation and impact of transposon activation
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2026 - 2031Pharmacological Sciences Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030Targeting genomic parasites for glioblastoma immunotherapy
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Sontag Foundation · 2024 - 2029View All Grants
Education
University of Massachusetts, Medical School ·
2013
Ph.D.