Peng Zhang

Peng Zhang, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Oncological Sciences

Research Interests

  • Drosophila melanogaster
  • Organoids
  • Guided Tissue Regeneration
  • Cancer Biology
  • Stem Cell Biology

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

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

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Zhang P, Pronovost SM, Marchetti M, Zhang C, Kang X, Kandelouei T, Li C, Edgar BA (2024). Inter-cell type interactions that control JNK signaling in the Drosophila intestine. Nat Commun, 15(1), 5493. (Read full article)
  2. Zhang P, Katzaroff AJ, Buttitta LA, Ma Y, Jiang H, Nickerson DW, vreb JI, Edgar BA (2021). The Krüppel-like factor Cabut has cell cycle regulatory properties similar to E2F1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 118(7). (Read full article)
  3. Zhang P, Holowatyj AN, Roy T, Pronovost SM, Marchetti M, Liu H, Ulrich CM, Edgar BA (2019). An SH3PX1-Dependent Endocytosis-Autophagy Network Restrains Intestinal Stem Cell Proliferation by Counteracting EGFR-ERK Signaling. Dev Cell, 49(4), 574-589.e5. (Read full article)
  4. Zhang P, Pei C, Wang X, Xiang J, Sun BF, Cheng Y, Qi X, Marchetti M, Xu JW, Sun YP, Edgar BA, Yuan Z (2017). A Balance of Yki/Sd Activator and E2F1/Sd Repressor Complexes Controls Cell Survival and Affects Organ Size. Dev Cell, 43(5), 603-617.e5. (Read full article)
  5. Zhou L, Zhang Q, Zhang P, Sun L, Peng C, Yuan Z, Cheng J (2017). c-Abl-mediated Drp1 phosphorylation promotes oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and neuronal cell death. Cell Death Dis, 8(10), e3117. (Read full article)
  6. Xiang J, Bandura J, Zhang P, Jin Y, Reuter H, Edgar BA (2017). EGFR-dependent TOR-independent endocycles support Drosophila gut epithelial regeneration. Nat Commun, 8, 15125. (Read full article)
  7. Li D, Liu Y, Pei C, Zhang P, Pan L, Xiao J, Meng S, Yuan Z, Bi X (2017). miR-285-Yki/Mask double-negative feedback loop mediates blood-brain barrier integrity in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 114(12), E2365-E2374. (Read full article)
  8. Zhang P, Zhou L, Pei C, Lin X, Yuan Z (2016). Dysfunction of Wntless triggers the retrograde Golgi-to-ER transport of Wingless and induces ER stress. Sci Rep, 6, 19418. (Read full article)
  9. Zhu Y, Li D, Wang Y, Pei C, Liu S, Zhang L, Yuan Z, Zhang P (2014). Brahma regulates the Hippo pathway activity through forming complex with Yki-Sd and regulating the transcription of Crumbs. Cell Signal, 27(3), 606-13. (Read full article)
  10. 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 WQ (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. Virol J, 11, 208. (Read full article)
  11. Yao M, Wang Y, Zhang P, Chen H, Xu Z, Jiao J, Yuan Z (2014). BMP2-SMAD signaling represses the proliferation of embryonic neural stem cells through YAP. J Neurosci, 34(36), 12039-48. (Read full article)
  12. Jin Y, Xu J, Yin MX, Lu Y, Hu L, Li P, Zhang P, Yuan Z, Ho MS, Ji H, Zhao Y, Zhang L (2013). Brahma is essential for Drosophila intestinal stem cell proliferation and regulated by Hippo signaling. Elife, 2, e00999. (Read full article)
  13. Zhang P, Wu Y, Belenkaya TY, Lin X (2011). SNX3 controls Wingless/Wnt secretion through regulating retromer-dependent recycling of Wntless. Cell Res, 21(12), 1677-90. (Read full article)
  14. Yu F, Wang J, Zhang P, Hong Y, Liu W (2010). Fusion expression of cecropin B-like antibacterial peptide in Escherichia coli and preparation of its antiserum. Biotechnol Lett, 32(5), 669-73. (Read full article)
  15. Hong Y, Wang J, Zhang P, Yang S, Song K, Yu F, Liu W (2010). Histopathological and gene expression analysis of mice exposed to diethylstilbestrol. Toxicol Mech Methods, 20(3), 105-11. (Read full article)
  16. Zhang P, Wang JG, Wan JY, Liu WQ (2010). Screening efficient siRNAs in vitro as the candidate genes for chicken anti-avian influenza virus H5N1 breeding. Mol Biol, 44(1), 37-44. (Read full article)

Review

  1. Zhang P, Holowatyj AN, Ulrich CM, Edgar BA (2019). Tumor suppressive autophagy in intestinal stem cells controls gut homeostasis. [Review]. Autophagy, 15(9), 1668-1670. (Read full article)
  2. Zhang P, Adams U, Yuan Z (2013). Re-mention of an old neurodegenerative disease: Alzheimer’s disease. [Review]. Sci Bull (Beijing), 58(15), 1731-1736.

Book Chapter

  1. Zhang P, Edgar BA (2021). Insect gut regeneration. In Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology.

Commentary

  1. Zhang P, Edgar BA (2020). Lipoic acid and autophagy: new insights into stem cell aging. EMBO Rep, 21(8), e51175. (Read full article)