Guizhen Zhao

Guizhen Zhao is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research focuses on epigenetic and molecular mechanisms in cardiovascular diseases (CVD), particularly aortic aneurysm, dissection, and atherosclerosis, with a goal to drive drug discovery innovations.

• Major research areas: Metaboloepigenetic properties of vascular cells, chromatin remodeling, vascular cell crosstalk
• Methodologies: bulk RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, spatial transcriptomics, metabolomics

Ongoing projects include studying BAF60c-dependent epigenetic modifications in smooth muscle cell biology, BAF60c-mediated iPSC differentiation, BAF60a in endothelial dysfunction, and vascular cell interactions in CVD development.

Scientific contributions include 15+ publications on abdominal aortic aneurysm, atherosclerosis, and chromatin remodeling mechanisms, with recent work on adenosine kinase inhibition and KLF11 as therapeutic targets.

• 2023-25: Career Development Award, American Heart Association
• 2021-22: Postdoctoral Fellowship, American Heart Association
• 2019: Young Investigator Award, American Heart Association