NEW Research Opportunities – Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

NEW Research Opportunities
TWO MS1 students NEEDED
STIPENDS AVAILABLE!

Submit MS1 online application by April 17^th
Contact Xiaotian Zhang, Ph.D.  
Assistant Professor
6431 Fannin ST, MSB6.202
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The Zhang lab focuses on the gene expression regulation defect in disease and development. We are interested in how the cells program their gene expression in the normal development process through epigenetic mechanisms. And more importantly, how these gene expression control programs are hijacked in the disease particularly cancer. Focusing on the normal and malignant hematopoiesis, the Zhang lab has pioneered to discover the mutant NPM1 protein as a transcriptional amplifier on chromatin, which transformed the study of this common leukemic mutant protein in acute myeloid leukemia. We have also made discoveries on the role of 3D genomic organizations in gene expression regulations. These include (1) the extreme long-range Polycomb interactions in the normal hematopoietic stem cells. (2). The novel non-coding genomic elements in globin switch regulation.

We are  currently working on the following research topics:

(1). The transcriptional hijacking mechanism by mutant NPM1 protein in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

(2). The regulation and therapeutic targeting of extreme long-range Polycomb loci interactions in acute myeloid leukemia stem cells.

(3). 3D genome organized by transcriptional factors in the hemoglobin switch and the novel gene therapy for hemoglobinopathies.

 Related Lab Publications:

(1). Wang XQ, Fan D, Liu Y, Han Q, Miao H, Wang X, Li Q, Chen D, Gore H, Himadewi P, Pfeifer GP, Grembecka J, Cierpicki T, Su J, Chong S#, Wan L#, Zhang X#. (# corresponding author). Mutant NPM1 hijacks transcriptional hubs to maintain pathogenic gene programs in acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Discovery. 2023.

(2). Zhang X*, Jeong M, Huang X, Wang XQ, Wang X, Zhou W, Shamin M, Gore H, Himadewi P,  Liu Y, Bochkov I, Reyes J, Doty M, Huang Y, Jung H, Heikamp E, Aiden A, Li W, Su J, Liberman-Aiden E*, Goodell MA* (*corresponding authors):  A Cell Type-Specific Class of Chromatin Loops Anchored at Large DNA Methylation Nadirs. Molecular Cell. 78(3), 506-521,2020. Cover article.

(3). Himadewi P, Wang XQ, Feng F, Gore H, Liu Y, Yu L, Liu J, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Pfeifer GP, Zhang X* (*corresponding author). 3’HS1 CTCF binding site in human β-globin locus regulates fetal hemoglobin expression. eLife. 2021 Sep 29;10:e70557.

Posted 3/2/2023