Qinghai Zhang

Qinghai Zhang, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). He leads a multidisciplinary laboratory focused on chemical and structural biology of membrane proteins, particularly their interactions with drugs and lipids. His research develops novel methodologies and chemical tools for structural characterization of membrane proteins, including ABC transporters, GPCRs, and ion channels. Notable contributions include studies on P-glycoprotein drug resistance mechanisms and lipid transport pathways in MsbA.

Education

• PhD in Organic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2001)
• BSc in Chemistry, Fudan University (1996)

Research Interests

Dr. Zhang’s lab investigates membrane protein stability and function through lipid interactions, small molecule drug discovery, and structural biology techniques. Key areas include:

• Development of synthetic amphiphiles for membrane protein stabilization
• Structural studies of drug transporters and their role in multidrug resistance
• Mechanistic insights into proton translocation in membrane-bound enzymes
• Design of inhibitors targeting ABC transporters

Selected Contributions

His work has advanced understanding of P-glycoprotein substrate translocation mechanisms and revealed structural insights into lipid A transport in MsbA. The lab pioneered engineered β-sheet peptides for membrane protein protection and steroid-based detergents for crystallization.

Labs & Affiliations

Based at TSRI’s La Jolla campus, the Zhang Lab collaborates widely in structural biology and chemical biology. The group actively contributes to the Membrane Protein Data Bank (MPDB) and related structural databases.