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Peng Zhang, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Oncological Sciences

Academic Office Information

Peng.Zhang@hci.utah.edu

Peng Zhang received his B.S. from Shandong Normal University (China) in 2004. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from China Agricultural University in 2009, where he studied with Weiquan Liu, Ph.D., focusing on anti-avian influenza virus research. Following this, Dr. Zhang obtained postdoctoral training in Xinhua Lin, Ph.D.’s Lab (2009-2011) at the Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he began using Drosophila models to study Wnt signaling regulation and organ patterning. From 2011 to 2014, Dr. Zhang held the positions of Assistant & Associate Professor at the Institute of Biophysics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he ran an independent research program focusing on Hippo pathway regulation and organ size control.



To expand his expertise in the field of stem cell biology, Dr. Zhang joined Bruce Edgar, Ph.D.’s lab at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)/Heidelberg University in 2014 as a senior postdoctoral researcher and relocated with the lab to the Huntsman Cancer Institute/University of Utah in 2016. In 2021, he was honored as a Susan Cooper Jones Endowed Fellow in Cancer Research.



Dr. Zhang is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah School of Medicine. His research focuses on utilizing Drosophila gut and mammalian intestinal organoid models to study the mechanisms that govern intestinal stem cell proliferation, gut regeneration, and tumorigenesis. In addition to conducting research projects, Dr. Zhang engages in training and mentoring new students (both graduate and undergraduate) and technicians in Drosophila genetics and molecular biology.

Education History

Undergraduate Shandong Normal University
 BS
Doctoral Training China Agricultural University
 PhD
Postdoctoral Fellowship Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
 Postdoctoral Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Zhang P, Pronovost SM, Marchetti M, Zhang C, Kang X, Kandelouei T, Li C, Edgar B (2024). Inter-cell type interactions that control JNK signaling in the Drosophila intestine. Nature communications, 15(1), 5493.
  2. Zhang P, Katzaroff AJ, Buttitta LA, Ma Y, Jiang H, Nickerson DW, Øvrebø JI, Edgar B (2021). The Krüppel-like factor Cabut has cell cycle regulatory properties similar to E2F1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(7),
  3. Zhang P, Holowatyj AN, Roy T, Pronovost SM, Marchetti M, Liu H, Ulrich CM, Edgar B (2019). An SH3PX1-Dependent Endocytosis-Autophagy Network Restrains Intestinal Stem Cell Proliferation by Counteracting EGFR-ERK Signaling. Developmental cell, 49(4), 574-589.e5.
  4. Zhang P, Pei C, Wang X, Xiang J, Sun BF, Cheng Y, Qi X, Marchetti M, Xu JW, Sun YP, Edgar BA, Yuan (2017). A Balance of Yki/Sd Activator and E2F1/Sd Repressor Complexes Controls Cell Survival and Affects Organ Size. Developmental cell, 43(5), 603-617.e5.
  5. Xiang J, Bandura J, Zhang P, Jin Y, Reuter H, Edgar B (2017). EGFR-dependent TOR-independent endocycles support Drosophila gut epithelial regeneration. Nature communications, 8, 15125.
  6. Li D, Liu Y, Pei C, Zhang P, Pan L, Xiao J, Meng S, Yuan Z, Bi (2017). miR-285-Yki/Mask double-negative feedback loop mediates blood-brain barrier integrity in Drosophila. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(12), E2365-E2374.
  7. Zhou L, Zhang Q, Zhang P, Sun L, Peng C, Yuan Z, Cheng (2017). c-Abl-mediated Drp1 phosphorylation promotes oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and neuronal cell death. Cell death & disease, 8(10), e3117.
  8. Zhang P, Zhou L, Pei C, Lin X, Yuan (2016). Dysfunction of Wntless triggers the retrograde Golgi-to-ER transport of Wingless and induces ER stress. Scientific reports, 6, 19418.
  9. Zhu Y, Li D, Wang Y, Pei C, Liu S, Zhang L, Yuan Z, Zhang (2015). Brahma regulates the Hippo pathway activity through forming complex with Yki-Sd and regulating the transcription of Crumbs. Cellular signalling, 27(3), 606-13.
  10. Yao M, Wang Y, Zhang P, Chen H, Xu Z, Jiao J, Yuan (2014). BMP2-SMAD signaling represses the proliferation of embryonic neural stem cells through YAP. The Journal of neuroscience, 34(36), 12039-48.
  11. Wang S, Zhang P, He F, Wang JG, Sun JZ, Li ZL, Yi B, Xi J, Mao YP, Hou Q, Yuan DL, Zhang ZD, Liu W (2014). Combination of specific single chain antibody variable fragment and siRNA has a synergistic inhibitory effect on the propagation of avian influenza virus H5N1 in chicken cells. Virology journal, 11, 208.
  12. Jin Y, Xu J, Yin MX, Lu Y, Hu L, Li P, Zhang P, Yuan Z, Ho MS, Ji H, Zhao Y, Zhang (2013). Brahma is essential for Drosophila intestinal stem cell proliferation and regulated by Hippo signaling. eLife, 2, e00999.
  13. Zhang P, Wu Y, Belenkaya TY, Lin (2011). SNX3 controls Wingless/Wnt secretion through regulating retromer-dependent recycling of Wntless. Cell research, 21(12), 1677-90.
  14. Zhang P, Wang JG, Wan JY, Liu W (2010). Screening efficient siRNAs in vitro as the candidate genes for chicken anti-avian influenza virus H5N1 breeding. Molecular biology, 44(1), 37-44.
  15. Yu F, Wang J, Zhang P, Hong Y, Liu (2010). Fusion expression of cecropin B-like antibacterial peptide in Escherichia coli and preparation of its antiserum. Biotechnology letters, 32(5), 669-73.
  16. Hong Y, Wang J, Zhang P, Yang S, Song K, Yu F, Liu (2010). Histopathological and gene expression analysis of mice exposed to diethylstilbestrol. Toxicology mechanisms and methods, 20(3), 105-11.

Review

  1. Zhang P, Holowatyj AN, Ulrich CM, Edgar B (2019). Tumor suppressive autophagy in intestinal stem cells controls gut homeostasis. Autophagy, 15(9), 1668-1670.
  2. Zhang P, Adams U, Yuan (2013). Re-mention of an old neurodegenerative disease: Alzheimer’s disease. Science bulletin, 58(15), 1731-1736.

Book Chapter

  1. Zhang P, Edgar B (2021). Insect gut regeneration.

Commentary

  1. Zhang P, Edgar B (2020). Lipoic acid and autophagy: new insights into stem cell aging. EMBO reports, 21(8), e51175.