Education
2007 - PhD | Zoology, Department of Zoology and Genetics Institute, University of Florida
2001 - MS | Medicine, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
1998 - MD | Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Experience
2024–Present | John T. and Winifred M. Hayward Professor of Genetic Research, Genetic Epidemiology and Comparative Medicine, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University
2018–2024 | John T. & Winfred M. Hayward Associate Professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University
2012–2018 | John T. & Winfred M. Hayward Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University
2008–2012 | Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2001–2003 | Research Associate, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
Areas of Interest
- Cancer genetics and genomics
- Ion channel functions in embryonic development
- Bioelectricity in embryogenesis and cancers
- Zebrafish genetic models of human diseases
- Evolutionary developmental biology
Professional Memberships, Honors, and Awards
- 2022 PVM Excellence in Research Award
- 2020 Purdue Research Foundation Faculty Summer Grant
- 2019 Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
- 2017 Seed for Success Award, Purdue University
- Member of International Zebrafish Society
- Member of the American Association for Cancer Research
- Member of the American Society for Cell Biology
- Member of the American Society of Genetics
- Member of Society for Developmental Biology
Selected Publications
- Silic, M. R., Dong, Z., Chen, Y., Kimbrough, A., & Zhang, G. (2022). Zebrafish Embryos Display Characteristic Bioelectric Signals during Early Development. Cells, 11(22), 3586.
- Silic, M.R., Murata, S.H., Park, S.J., Zhang, G. (2021). Evolution of inwardly rectifying potassium channels and their gene expression in zebrafish embryos. Developmental Dynamics. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.425
- Han, H., Jiang, G.Z., Kurami, R., Silic, M.R., Owens, J.L., Hu, C.D., Mittal, S.K., Zhang, G. (2021). Loss of smarcad1a accelerates tumorigenesis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in zebrafish. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer. 60:743–761. https://doi.org/10.1002/gcc.22983
- Silic, M.R., Black, M.M., Zhang, G. (2021). Phylogenetic and developmental analyses indicate complex functions of Calcium‐Activated Potassium Channels in zebrafish embryonic development. Developmental Dynamics. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.329
- Silic, M.R., Wu Q., Kim, B.H., Golling, G., Chen, K.H., Freitas, R., Chubykin, A.A., Mittal, S.K., and Zhang, G. #. (2020). Potassium Channel-Associated Bioelectricity of the Dermomyotome Determines Fin Patterning in Zebrafish. Genetics. 215: 1067-1084. doi: 10.1534/genetics.120.303390.
- Kim BH, Zhang, G#. (2020). Generating Stable Knockout Zebrafish Lines by Deleting Large Chromosomal Fragments Using Multiple gRNAs. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. g3.401035.2019. doi: 10.1534/g3.119.401035
- Silic M.R., Zhang G. (2018). Visualization of Cellular Electrical Activity in Zebrafish Early Embryos and Tumors. JOVE, 134: e57330, doi:10.3791/57330
- Kumari K., Silic M.R., Jones-Hall Y.L., Nin-Velez A., Yang J.Y., Mittal S.K., Zhang G. (2018). Identification of RECK as an evolutionarily conserved tumor suppressor gene for zebrafish malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Oncotarget, 9:23494-23504. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.25236.
- Cui Z, Shen, Y.J., Chen K.H., Mittal, S.K., Yang, J.Y., and Zhang, G. (2017). KANK1 inhibits cell growth by inducing apoptosis through regulating CXXC5 in human malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Scientific Reports 7: 40325
- Hensley, M. R., Chua, R. F., Leung, Y. F., Yang, J. Y., Zhang, G. (2016) Molecular Evolution of MDM1, a 'Duplication-Resistant' Gene in Vertebrates. PLoS One 11, e0163229, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0163229.
- Hensley, M.R., Cui, Z., Chua, R.F.M., Simpson, S., Shammas, N.L., Yang, J.-Y., Leung, Y.F., and Zhang, G. (2016). Evolutionary and developmental analysis reveals KANK genes were co-opted for vertebrate vascular development. Scientific Reports 6, 27816.
- Tarazona, O.A., Slota, L.A., Lopez, D.H., Zhang, G. & Cohn, M.J. (2016) The genetic program for cartilage development has deep homology within Bilateria. Nature, 533: 86–89.
- Zhang G., Hoersch S., Amsterdam A., Whittaker C.A., Beert E., Catchen, J.M., Farrington, S., Postlethwait, J.H., Legius E., Hopkins, N., Lees, J.A. (2013) Comparative Oncogenomic Analysis of Copy Number Alterations in Human and Zebrafish Tumors Enables Cancer Driver Discovery. PLoS Genetics 9(8): e1003734. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1003734
- Zhang G., Vemulapalli, T.H., Yang J.Y. (2013) Phylooncogenomics: Examining the cancer genome in the context of vertebrate evolution. Applied & Translational Genomics, 2: 48-54.
- Zhang G., Hoersch S., Amsterdam A., Whittaker C.A,. Lees J.A., Hopkins N. (2010). Highly aneuploid zebrafish malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors have genetic alterations similar to human cancers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107: 16940-16945.
- Zhang, G. (2009). An Evo-Devo view on the origin of the backbone: evolutionary development of the vertebrae. Integrative and Comparative Biology 49: 178-186.
- Zhang, G. Eames, B.F. and Cohn, M.J. (2009). Evolution of Vertebrate Cartilage Development. Current Topics in Developmental Biology 86: 15-42.
- Zhang, G. and Cohn, M.J. (2008). Genome duplication and the origin of the vertebrate skeleton. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, 18:387-393.
- Freitas, R., Zhang, G. and Cohn, M. J (2007). Multiphasic expression of HoxA and HoxD genes during shark fin development: implications for the origin of tetrapod limbs. PLoS ONE, 2: e754.
- Zhang, G. and Cohn, M.J. (2006). Hagfish and lancelet fibrillar collagens reveal that type II collagen-based cartilage evolved in stem vertebrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103: 16829-33.
- Freitas, R., Zhang, G., Cohn, M.J. (2006). Evidence that mechanisms of fin development evolved in the midline of early vertebrates. Nature. 2006 442: 1033-7.
- Zhang, G., Miyamoto, M.M., Cohn, M.J. (2006). Lamprey type II collagen and Sox9 reveal an ancient origin of the vertebrate collagenous skeleton. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103: 3180-5.
- Freitas, R., Zhang, G., Albert, J.S., Evans, D.H., Cohn, M.J. (2006). Developmental origin of shark electrosensory organs. Evolution and Development. 8: 74-80.
