Yazhen Zhu

Dr. Yazhen Zhu is an Assistant Professor and Research Pathologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is affiliated with the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging and the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. In addition to her academic role, she co-directs the liquid biopsy laboratory at UCLA, where she leads translational research programs in cancer and prenatal diagnostics.

Education:

• MD, Wuhan University (2005)
• PhD in Pathology, Fudan University (2010)
• Residency in Pathology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM (2012)

Research Interests:

Dr. Zhu’s research focuses on the development and clinical translation of liquid biopsy-based diagnostic platforms. Her work explores the potential of circulating rare cells and extracellular vesicles (EVs) for noninvasive cancer and prenatal diagnostics. She has pioneered the use of click chemistry and nanosubstrates to enrich tumor-derived EVs and circulating tumor cells (CTCs), enabling high-sensitivity detection of oncogenic mutations and gene expression profiles. Her translational programs involve close collaboration with clinicians across multiple departments at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Scientific Contributions:

Dr. Zhu has published extensively on novel diagnostic assays for hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and placental disorders. Her work spans from single-cell profiling and spatial transcriptomics to CRISPR-based gene therapy, reflecting a broad and integrative approach to precision medicine.

Research Collaborations & Labs:

She co-directs the Liquid Biopsy Laboratory at UCLA, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research involving molecular imaging, pharmacology, and clinical pathology. The lab collaborates with departments such as Liver Transplant Surgery, Pancreatic Cancer Surgery, Thyroid Surgery, Medical Oncology, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine.