Biography

Before his AACR role, Dr. Zhang served as the Executive Research Director at The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). In this capacity, he oversaw LLS's research grants portfolio, evaluating academic research proposals, identifying promising technologies, and fostering collaboration with key opinion leaders in hematologic malignancies. His leadership accelerated the advancement of novel therapies and provided crucial scientific guidance for funded projects.

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Dr. Zhang's industry experience encompasses his role as Vice President of Biology at Belrose Pharma, where he contributed to pipeline planning, drug delivery optimization, and competitive intelligence. Earlier, as the Head of Pharmacology at Enzon Pharmaceuticals, he played an instrumental role in IND filings and lead candidate selection for multiple cancer targets.

His journey began at Wyeth Research (now Pfizer), where he spent a decade as a Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader in the Oncology Department. Dr. Zhang holds a bachelor’s degree in organic chemistry from Shanghai University and a doctoral degree in biochemistry from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He became an instructor after his postdoctoral training at Baylor College Medicine. He was a two-time recipient of the Jeane B. Kempner Award for research excellence and was awarded a US Army Research Fellowship Award while he was a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine. An author of several dozens of peer-reviewed articles and co-inventor on multiple patents, Dr. Zhang is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association of Hematology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.