Yingze Zhang, PhD

Research Interests

Dr. Zhang's current research is focused on the molecular and genetic basis of pulmonary and vascular diseases including COPD, ILD, sickle cell and systemic complications associated with these diseases. She is also actively working on the discovery and validation of prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers related to lung and vascular diseases. In addition, her laboratory is actively investigating the functional significance of disease associated genetic variants and their roles in disease pathogenesis. Dr. Zhang also directs the translational core lab for the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine and the Biobank for Cardiology and Vascular Medicine Institute. She has been PI or co-I on multiple grants funded by NIH and other agencies. She has published over 180 peer-reviewed original study publications.

Selected Publications

  1. Zhang Y, Tedrow J, Nouraie M, Li X, Chandra D, Bon J, Kass DJ, Fuhrman CR, Leader JK, Duncan SR, Kaminski N, Sciurba FC. Elevated plasma level of Pentraxin 3 is associated with emphysema and mortality in smokers. Thorax. 2021 Jan 21;. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215356. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 33479043.
  2. Chen TY, Li X, Goobie GC, Hung CH, Hung TK, Hamilton K, Bahudhanapati H, Tan J, Kass DJ, Zhang Y. Identification of a distal RXFP1 gene enhancer with differential activity in fibrotic lung fibroblasts involving AP-1. PLoS One. 2021;16(12):e0254466. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254466. eCollection 2021. PubMed PMID: 34972106.

 

  1. Goobie GC, Ryerson CJ, Johannson KA, Schikowski E, Zou RH, Khalil N, Marcoux V, Assayag D, Manganas H, Fisher JH, Kolb MRJ, Gibson KF, Kass DJ, Zhang Y, Lindell KO, Nouraie SM. Neighborhood-Level Disadvantage Impacts on Patients with Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022 Feb 15;205(4):459-467. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202109-2065OC. PubMed PMID: 34818133.
  2. Li X, Kim SE, Chen T, Wang J, Yang X, Tabib T, Tan J, Guo B, Fung S, Zhao J, Sembrat J, Rojas M, Shiva S, Lafyatis R, St Croix C, Alder JK, Di YP, Kass DJ, Zhang Y. Toll Interacting Protein Protects Bronchial Epithelial Cells From Bleomycin-Induced Apoptosis. FASEB J 2020 Aug;34(8):9884-9898. PMID: 32596871.
  3. Zhang Y, Jiang M, Nouraie M, Roth MG, Tabib T, Winters S, Chen X, Sembrat J, Chu Y, Cardenes N, Tuder RM, Herzog EL, Ryu C, Rojas M, Lafyatis R, Gibson KF, McDyer JF, Kass DJ, Alder JK. GDF15 is an epithelial-derived biomarker of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2019 Aug 21. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00062.2019. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 31432710
  4. Radder JE, Zhang Y, Gregory AD, Yu S, Kelly NJ, Leader JK, Kaminski N, Sciurba FC, Shapiro SD. Extreme Trait Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies PTPRO as a Novel Candidate Gene in Emphysema with Severe Airflow Obstruction. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017; 196(2): 159-71.
  5. Noth, I, Zhang, Y, Ma, S-F, Flores, C, Barber, M, Huang, Y, Broderick, SM, Wade, MS, Hysi, P, Sciurba, J, Richards, TJ, Juan-Guardela, BM, Vij, R, han, MK, Martinez, FJ, Kossen, K, Seiwert, SD, Christie, JD, Nicolae, D, ...et all. Genetic variants associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis susceptibility and mortality: a genome-wide association study. LANCET Respiratory Medicine. 2013; Jun;1(4): 309-17. PMID: 24429156; PMCID: PMC3894577
  6. Peljto, AL, Zhang, Y, Fingerlin, TE, Ma, SF, Garcia, JG, Richards, TJ, Silveira, LJ, Lindell, KO, Steele, MP, Loyd, JE, Gibson, KF, Seibold, MA, Brown, KK, Talbert, JL, Markin, C, Kossen, K, Seiwert SD, Murphy, E, Noth, I, ...et all. Association Between the MUC5B Promoter Polymorphism and Survival in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. JAMA. 2013; Jun 5;309(21): 2232-9. PMID: 23695349; PMCID: PMC4545271.
  7. Richards, T, Park, C, Chen, Y, Gibson, KF, Di, YP, Pardo, A, Watkins, SC, Choi, AMK, Selman, M, Pilewski, J, Kaminski, N, Zhang, Y. Allele Specific Transactivation of Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 by FOXA2 and Correlation with Plasma Levels in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. AJP Lung. 2012; AJP Lung 2012. 302 (8):L746-54. PMID: 22268124; PMCID: PMC3331579.
  8. Zhang, Y, Noth, I, Garcia, JGN, Kaminski, N. A variant in the promoter of MUC5B and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 2011; 364: 1576-7. PMID: 21506748; PMCID: PMC4327994.