Lei Zhang

Dr. Lei Zhang is a Senior Lecturer at The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW), specializing in HIV epidemiology and public health research with a focus on China and Southeast Asia. His work spans mathematical modeling of disease transmission, infectious disease surveillance, and bioinformatics applications in public health.

Dr. Zhang holds a BSc (Advanced Honors) and MSc in Mathematics from the University of Sydney (2002), a PhD in Medicine in Microbiology from UNSW, and a Master of Public Health completed in 2009. His academic journey includes a postdoctoral position at Humboldt University, Berlin (2006) and a visiting scholar position at Bar-Ilan University, Israel (2007).

His research interests encompass HIV epidemiology, sexually transmitted infections, mathematical modeling of disease transmission, and public health interventions. Dr. Zhang has made significant contributions to understanding HIV transmission dynamics among men who have sex with men in China, as evidenced by his 2013 book chapter and numerous publications. His recent work shows a strong focus on AI applications in sexual health, HIV prevention strategies, and cost-effectiveness analyses of public health interventions.

Dr. Zhang's extensive publication record includes over 32 peer-reviewed articles (2004-2012) in high-impact journals such as PNAS, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and Journal of Virology. His most recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a clear trend toward interdisciplinary research combining epidemiology, artificial intelligence, and public health policy, with particular emphasis on HIV/STI prevention, cervical cancer screening, and diabetes research.

Dr. Zhang has significant consulting experience with international organizations including the World Bank and UNAIDS, conducting national and regional studies on HIV epidemics. He has co-authored three national reports for Vietnam, Indonesia, and eight Eastern European/Central Asian countries, demonstrating his expertise in global health policy and epidemic modeling.

His research team at The Kirby Institute focuses on translating epidemiological findings into practical public health interventions, with a particular emphasis on resource-limited settings. Dr. Zhang's work bridges the gap between mathematical modeling and practical implementation of public health strategies in the Asia-Pacific region.