Zhen Zhang, PhD
Principal Investigator
Dr. Zhen Zhang is a distinguished researcher with a strong academic background in biochemistry and molecular biology. He was born at1983 in Shanxi Province, China. Dr. Zhang completed his undergraduate studies in Forensic Medicine at Shanxi Medical University and later earned his master's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Fourth Military Medical University under the guidance of Professor Zhang Yingqi. He continued his academic journey in the United States, conducting research in Professor Huaiyu Hu's laboratory at the State University of New York in 2011.
In pursuit of his doctoral degree, Dr. Zhang joined the University of Kansas in the laboratory of Professor Chad Slawson. After successfully completing his Ph.D. in 2017, he embarked on a postdoctoral research journey at the University of Pennsylvania, where he collaborated with esteemed professors Junwei Shi and Shelley L. Berger. During his postdoc, he notably established a groundbreaking peptide-assisted gene editing tool delivery system known as PAGE.
Today, Dr. Zhen Zhang is a prominent figure in the field of genome editing and epigenetic research. He serves as a leading researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in T-cell exhaustion, gene transcription, and histone modification in epigenetic regulation. His work in collaboration with Professors Shi and Berger has contributed significantly to the development of advanced gene editing tools for primary cells. In early 2024, he joined the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center's Institute of Health Research, where he continues to make strides in the field of biomedicine and genomics.
Past Experience
Education
08/11- 05/17
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The University of Kansas Medical Center
Mentor: Dr. Chad Slawson
09/05-06/08
M.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
Mentor: Dr. Yingqi Zhang
09/00-07/05
B.S., Forensic Medicine
Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
Employment
07/22-11/23
Research Associate
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Supervisor: Drs. Junwei Shi and Shelley Berger
07/17-07/22
Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Supervisor: Drs. Junwei Shi and Shelley Berger
12/08-04/11
Research Scientist
Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Supervisor: Dr. Huaiyu Hu
Meet the Team
Lab Research Assistant.
Lin Zhang (张临), M.Sc
Graduated from Anhui Agricultural University in China in 2023, and joined Zhang lab in Jan, 2024.
Master
Tao Xu (徐涛）
Master student in Pharmacology from Wannan Medical College, and joined Zhang lab in Feb, 2024.
Master
Gaoshuang Liang (梁高爽）
Graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Gaoshuang currently is a master student in Pharmacology at Hunan Normal University under the supervision of Dr. Zhuan Li.
PhD
Xu Yan (闫旭)
Graduated from Anhui Agricultural University, specializing in animal reproduction, and joined Zhang's laboratory in July 2024.
Lab Research Assistant
Zheqi Zhang (章哲麒)
Graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Gaoshuang currently is a master student in Pharmacology at Hunan Normal University under the supervision of Dr. Zhuan Li.
Master
Yuyao Zhang (张钰瑶)
Graduated from Shanxi Medical University in 2023, currently is a master student in Immunology at Anhui Medical University and joined the lab in July 2024.
Lab Research Assistant
Yuheng Zhang (张宇亨), MPH
Graduated from Anhui Medical University in China in 2023, and joined Zhang lab in Feb 2024.
Master
Shanshan Xu (许珊珊）
Graduated from Bengbu Medical College in 2023, and currently is a master student in Pharmacology at Wannan Medical College.
PhD
Jiajun Zhang (张嘉俊)
PhD in Preventive Veterinary Medicine from Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and joined the lab in Apr 2024.
Lab Research Assistant
Xin Wang (王欣)
Graduated from Anhui Agricultural University, specializing in animal reproduction, and joined Zhang's laboratory in July 2024.
PhD
Yangyang Li (李洋洋)
Graduated from Bengbu Medical University with a master’s degree, currently is a PhD student at Anhui Agricultural University and joined the lab in June 2024.
Master
Jianong Wang (王佳浓)
Graduated from Chengdu Medical College in 2023, currently is a master student in Immunology at Anhui Medical University and joined the lab in July 2024.