Feng Zhang

Feng Zhang, Ph.D. serves as an Associate Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin. He joined the university in January 2014 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in September 2020. His research program focuses on advanced pharmaceutical technologies for drug delivery and manufacturing.

Dr. Zhang earned his B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science from China Pharmaceutical University in 1994 and completed his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Texas at Austin in 1999. Prior to his academic appointment, he gained extensive industry experience working as a Research Scientist at PharmaForm (2000-2010) and Gilead Sciences (2011-2013).

His laboratory investigates three primary research areas: (1) formulation, processing, and characterization of melt-extruded long-acting implants, (2) investigation of process-induced transformation of API during twin-screw continuous granulation, and (3) simulation and modeling of melt extrusion for preparing amorphous solid dispersions to enhance bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. His work addresses critical challenges in pharmaceutical manufacturing, particularly the development of continuous processing methods and bioavailability enhancement technologies for BCS Class 2 and 4 drugs.

Dr. Zhang's publication record demonstrates consistent productivity in high-impact pharmaceutical journals, with research focusing on advanced drug delivery systems, continuous manufacturing technologies, and bioavailability enhancement strategies. His work shows a strong trend toward implementing continuous manufacturing processes in pharmaceutical production and developing novel analytical methods to characterize complex drug delivery systems.

Dr. Zhang has secured research funding from multiple sources including PhRMA Foundation, Food and Drug Administration, Foster Delivery Sciences, Ashland Chemical, and American Leistritz Extruder Corporation. His laboratory has produced numerous publications and trained many successful pharmaceutical scientists.

Dr. Zhang currently mentors several graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Zhang Lab, focusing on biodurable implants, continuous twin-screw melt granulation, and biodegradable implant research. His former students have secured positions at major pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Merck & Co., Sanofi, and Gilead Sciences.