Richard Zhao

Dr. Richard Zhao is a tenured Professor of Pathology, Microbiology-Immunology, and Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He serves as the Division Director of Molecular Pathology and Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at UMMC. His academic journey includes a B.S. from China Oceanography University (1981), M.S. and Ph.D. from Oregon State University (1991), and postdoctoral training at Columbia University. Dr. Zhao’s research focuses on virus-host interactions, viral pathogenicity, and antiviral drug development, utilizing fission yeast as a model system for studying HIV, Zika virus, and other pathogens.

His research interests span HIV/AIDS, Zika virus, host-pathogen interactions, and precision medicine. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed articles and serves on editorial boards of journals like Cell Research, Retrovirology, and Microbial Cell. He has chaired NIH grant review panels and reviewed grants for agencies in over ten countries.

Dr. Zhao’s work has identified key Zika proteins linked to fetal brain abnormalities and pioneered fission yeast-based platforms for drug screening against HIV and multidrug-resistant pathogens. His awards include the American Academy of Microbiology Fellowship and the Bernard L. Mirkin Endowed Chair. He leads initiatives in translational genomics and molecular diagnostics, advancing personalized medicine approaches.