Li Zhang

Dr. Li Zhang is a Professor and Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), holding the Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology. He has held academic positions at Columbia University, New York University, and MIT. His research focuses on heme signaling, lung cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and molecular mechanisms of cellular metabolism. He has secured funding from CPRIT and NIH, including a CPRIT grant for optimizing therapeutic strategies against lung cancer.

Education: Postdoc (MIT, 1995), Ph.D. in Biochemistry (UCLA, 1990), B.S. in Chemistry (Zhongshan University, China, 1984).

Research interests include heme’s role in cancer progression, Alzheimer’s pathogenesis, and oxygen signaling. His lab has published extensively on heme regulation in tumors and neuronal systems, with key findings on heme sequestration as a therapeutic strategy. Notable publications in Cancer Research and Alzheimer's & Dementia highlight his contributions.

Awards include the Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair, Monique Weill-Caulier Scholarship, and recognition as a top-cited author in molecular biology. He has co-founded a company to commercialize IP from his research on heme-based therapies.