Ze-Yan Zhang, Ph.D.

School of Basic Medical Sciences,

Institute of Biomedical Innovation,

The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors,

Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology,

Jiangxi Medical College

Nanchang University

EMAIL: zhangzeyan.AT.ncu.edu.cn

Education & Training

• 2018-2025 NYU Langone Health. New York, NY, U.S. Postdoctoral fellow

• 2015-2018 MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX, U.S. Postdoctoral fellow

• 2010-2015 Wuhan University. Wuhan, China. Ph.D. in Cell biology

• 2006-2010 Yunnan University. Kunming, China. BS in the Biological Base Class

Professional Experiences and Community services

• 2013- Member, Chinese Society for Cell Biology

• 2017- Associate Member, American Association for Cancer Research

• 2017- Member, Society for Neuro-Oncology

• 2025- Youth Editor for The Innovation Medicine

• 2025- Member, North American Chapter, Chinese Pharmacological Society

Research Interests:

The research in my lab is focused on dissecting the circuit and synaptic underlying of anxiety and anxiety disorders by prolonged stress exposure. Specifically, we are using combined approaches of multi-omics, optogenetics, fiber photometry, behavior and electrophysiology to address the following scientific questions, 1) The circuit, molecular and synaptic mechanisms underlying the long-lasting disinhibition of amygdala by chronic stress exposure, a kernel brain region responsible for the expression fear and anxiety; 2) The structural and functional bases for the impaired prefrontal control of amygdala activity subsequent to stress exposure; 3) Find approaches to prevent and treat stress-associated anxiety disorder.

Editorial board

• SCIREA Journal of Biology

• Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

Review activities

• Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Clinical and Translational Medicine, Drug and Chemical Toxicology, Oncotarget, Amino Acids.

Selected Publications

1. Zhang, Z.Y.*, Ding,Y, E.P,Sulman, et al. (2022). Lineage-coupled Clonal Capture Identifies Clonal Evolution Mechanisms and Vulnerabilities of BRAFV600E Inhibition Resistance in Melanoma. Cell Discovery. (First author and co-corresponding author, accepted, IF: 38.079)

2. Yingwen Ding*, Ze-Yan Zhang*, Aram Modrek, Erik Sulman, et. al, NANP Targeting Radiosensitizes Glioblastoma through TNFR1 Sialylation-Driven Mesenchymal Shift. Nature Communications 2026,17(1). doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-70853-x (co-first author)

3. Zhang, Q.*, Z. Y. Zhang*, H. Du, S. Z. Li, R. Tu, Y. F. Jia, Z. Zheng, X. M. Song, R. L. Du and X. D. Zhang (2019). DUB3 deubiquitinates and stabilizes NRF2 in chemotherapy resistance of colorectal cancer. Cell Death Differ 26 (11), 2300-2313. doi: 10.1038/s41418-019-0303-z. (Co-first and co-responding author, IF: 12.067)

4. M. Zhang*, C. Hu*, H. Liu*, C, Zhang, Q. Shu, Y. Ding, J. Zhang, Z. Hu, H. Wang, Y. Zhang, Y. Kang, Z.Y. Zhang#, S. Li#. MST4 plays dual-roles in lung adenocarcinoma by regulating homeostasis of wild-type and mutant p53 protein, Oncogene 2026,45 (26). doi: 10.1038/s41388-026-03824-7

5. Zhang, Z.Y., Xiao, X.P, Su, T, Wu, J.Y, et al. (2017). Synthesis, structure-activity relationships and preliminary mechanism of action of novel water-soluble 4-quinolone-3-carboxamides as antiproliferative agents, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 140, 239-251. (First author, IF: 7.088)

6. Li, S.Z.*, Zhang, Z.Y.*, et al. (2022). NLK is required for Ras/ERK/SRF/ELK signaling to tune skeletal muscle development by phosphorylating SRF and antagonizing the SRF/MKL pathway. Cell Death Discov 8(1):4. doi 10.1038/s41420-021-00774-9. (Co-first author, IF: 7.109)

7. Zhang, Z.Y., Li, S.Z., Zhang, H.H., Wu, Q.R., Gong, J., Liang, T., Gao, L., Xing, N.N., Liu, W.B., Du, R.L., et al. (2015). Stabilization of ATF5 by TAK1-Nemo-Like Kinase Critically Regulates the Interleukin-1beta-Stimulated C/EBP Signaling Pathway. Mol Cell Biol 35, 778-788. doi:10.1128/MCB.01228-14 (2015). (First author, IF: 5.069)