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
Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of transposable elements and their roles in development and disease.
Journal Article Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol · June 30, 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 CiteTransposon persistence and control in germ cells.
Journal Article Curr Opin Genet Dev · June 18, 2025 Transposons, or 'jumping genes', are ubiquitous genomic elements with the dual capacity to drive evolutionary innovation and disrupt genome integrity through gene mutation and DNA damage. Their activity is particularly significant in germline cells, which ... Full text Link to item CiteStructural insights into RNA cleavage by PIWI Argonaute.
Journal Article Nature · March 2025 Argonaute proteins are categorized into AGO and PIWI clades. Across most animal species, AGO-clade proteins are widely expressed in various cell types, and regulate normal gene expression1. By contrast, PIWI-clade proteins predominantly function during gam ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Targeting genomic parasites for glioblastoma immunotherapy
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Sontag Foundation · 2024 - 2029Engineering TCR-T cells to target human endogenous retroviruses for non-small cell lung cancer immunotherapy
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Defense · 2025 - 2028Training Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2001 - 2027View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Massachusetts, Medical School ·
2013
Ph.D.