معرفی
Donna D. Zhang, Ph.D., serves as the Dr. Herbert A. Wertheim Professor at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida. Previously, she held the Musil Family Endowed Chair in Drug Discovery at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. Her academic journey began with a Ph.D. in Molecular Toxicology from New York University’s Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine in 1997.
Dr. Zhang's research centers on NRF2 redox biology, arsenic pathogenesis, and ferroptosis mechanisms. Her laboratory pioneered the discovery of NRF2's dual role in cancer—both protective against oxidative stress and paradoxically promoting therapy resistance. Key contributions include linking NRF2 to ferroptosis resistance in cancers, elucidating arsenic's diabetogenic effects through persistent NRF2 activation, and developing NRF2-targeted therapeutics including small molecules and nanobodies. Her work spans cancer, diabetes, and environmental toxicology with emphasis on NRF2-Keap-ARE pathway dysregulation.
Her scientific achievements include the 2024 SOT Leading Edge in Basic Science Award, 2023 Distinguished Chinese American Toxicologist Award, and multiple institutional honors. She has mentored numerous Ph.D. students while developing pharmacology and toxicology curricula. Her laboratory (SR-CISSM-ZHANG LAB) investigates NRF2 signaling networks, arsenic-induced carcinogenesis, and therapeutic strategies targeting redox biology. Current research focuses on NRF2 inhibitors for treatment-resistant cancers and molecular mechanisms of CNC family proteins (NRF1, NRF2, NRF3).
