Jianhua Zhang PhD

Dr. Zhang came to the US via a CUSPEA program, received her PhD with Dr. Joseph Sambrook at UT Southwestern studying molecular cloning and cellular retinoic acid binding protein structure/function relationships.  Then she continued her interest in structure-activity relationships in protein function and worked with Dr. Rick Young in the Whitehead Institute on the genetics of RNA polymerase holoenzyme and coactivator functions.  Realizing the potential of genetic manipulation of animal models to address interesting biological questions as a junior faculty at the Univ of Cincinnati, Dr. Zhang developed the expertise to create and characterize genetically engineered mouse models in the context of neuroscience research.  These included (i) dopamine receptors, (ii) immediate early gene transcription factor c-fos, and (iii) DNA fragmentation factors in neuroplasticity and apoptosis.  After moving to UAB, Dr. Zhang began her studies of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway which was then emerging as an important player in in neuronal function and survival.  Her group gained extensive expertise and developed new concepts linking mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagy and oxidative stress in cell death and survival, including the development of novel in vitro and in vivo approaches to assessing mitochondrial function, applying an integrated approach to assess cellular response to oxidative / nitrosative / ER stress, nutrient deprivation, perturbation of glucose metabolism, mitochondrial and environmental toxins, as well as proteotoxicity.  Her group has established collaborations with investigators interested in aging, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular research in UAB with ongoing NIH funding and publications.

Education

• BS, University of Science & Technology of China
• PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• Postdoc, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Research Interests

• System biology, transcription regulation, apoptosis and autophagy
• Role of autophagy and lysosomal proteins in vivo 
• Autophagy lysosomal impact on cellular bioenergetics and mitochondrial quality control in diverse cell types, SH-SY5Y and breast cancer cells, and primary neurons

Recent Publications

• Zhang J (2020) The Promise of a Golden Era for Exploring the Frontiers of Aging, Metabolism and Redox Biology. Frontier in Aging 1:4.
• Austad SN, Ballinger S, Buford TW, Carter CS, Smith Jr DL, Darley-Usmar V, Zhang J (2021) Targeting whole body metabolism and mitochondrial bioenergetics in the drug development for Alzheimer’s disease. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B (APSB)  Special Issue
• Austad SN, Buford TW, Allison, DA, Ballinger S, Brown, AW, Carter CS, Darley-Usmar V, Hartman JL, Nagy TR, Smith Jr DL, Sun L, Zhang J (2021) UAB Nathan Shock Center Comparative Energetic of Aging. GeroScience
• Huynh VN, Wang S, Ouyang X, Wani WY, Johnson M, Chacko B,  Jegga AG, Qian W-J, Chatham J, Darley-Usmar V, Zhang J (2021) Defining the dynamic regulation of O-GlcNAc proteome in the mouse cortex --- The O-GlcNAcylation of synaptic and trafficking proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases. Frontier in Aging
• Complete List of Published Work in googlescholar: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nHLXgEAAAAAJ&hl=en