Michael Q. Zhang

Dr. Michael Q. Zhang is a leading scientist in computational biology and genomic research, serving as the Director of the Center for Systems Biology and the Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology Science at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas). He joined UT Dallas in 2009 and is a joint faculty member in the Department of Bioengineering. His work bridges biomedical science with quantitative disciplines like mathematics, statistics, and computer science, focusing on systems-wide understanding of diseases such as cancer.

• Education: PhD in statistical physics from Rutgers University (1987); postdoctoral research at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

His research spans gene structure, regulation, epigenomics, and cellular responses to environmental signals. He has contributed to computational tools for gene identification and regulatory elements, aiming to decode the genetic language of life through mathematical and statistical methods. Zhang previously served as a professor at the Watson School of Biological Sciences and conducted research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory since 1991.

He holds international affiliations, including Distinguished Guest Chair Professor at Tsinghua University and membership on the Scientific Advisory Board for the CAS-Max Planck Joint Institute of Computational Biology in China. His recruitment to UT Dallas was facilitated by the UT System's Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention (STARs) Program, which focuses on top-tier researcher retention.