Susan Zhang

Susan Zhang is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology and Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She holds dual MD and PhD degrees from Peking Union Medical College and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, respectively, and completed clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and UCSF.

• Education:
  • MD, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing (2004)
  • PhD, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins (2010)
  • Internal Medicine Residency, Massachusetts General Hospital (2013)
  • Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, UCSF (2016)

Dr. Zhang's research focuses on genomic studies of human cancers and translational oncology. She co-led the first exomic sequencing of pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, and medulloblastoma, discovering IDH1 mutations in GBM and contributing to targeted therapy development. Her work also includes Clostridium novyi-NT bacterial therapy combined with immunotherapies for solid tumors, culminating in a Phase I clinical trial.

Her recent publications highlight trends in cancer genomics, targeted therapies, and clinical trial design. She has received awards such as the American Physician Scientists Association 2010 Travel Award and the 2009 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Students Abroad.

Key Research Collaborations: Dr. Zhang has worked with luminaries like Drs. Bert Vogelstein, Andrei Goga, Alan Venook, and Pamela Munster. At UCSF, she continues translational research on therapeutic biomarkers using breast cancer xenograft models, aiming to translate findings into human clinical trials.