Fujian Zhang, PhD
Professor
National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease
State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research
Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital,Southern Medical University
Dr. Zhang’s main research interests focus on elucidating the molecular mechanism, clinical diagnosis and novel treatment of genetic kidney diseases. Using next generation sequencing and Drosophila in vivo functional analysis system, his team is trying to discover and characterize new genes identified from patients with genetic kidney diseases. The team also explore the origin and molecular characteristics of cells involved in renal repair or regeneration after kidney injury using cell lineage tracing technique. In research, the team also focus on “the growth factor cocktail” required for the specification and differentiation of podocytes and renal proximal tubular cells from iPSC using our newly established in vitro system. These studies will lay the foundation for the treatment of genetic kidney diseases.
Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D degree from the University of Kentucky, School of Medicine. He then completed his postdoc training in fly genetics at the Department of Biology Indiana University, and a fellowship in Molecular Medical Genetics at the University of Michigan, College of Medicine. As a full-time professor at Southern Medical University, Dr. Zhang is also a member of the American Society of Nephrology, Genetics Society of American, American Society of Mass Spectrometry.
Education
Bechelor Degree Wuhan University, College of Life Sciences 1994
Madter Degree Peking University, College of Life Sciences 1997
PhD University of Kentucky, School of Medicine 2006
Post Doc Indiana University, Department of Biology 2006-2007
Fellowships University of Michigan, College of Medicine，Molecular Medical Genetics 2007-2013
Selected Research and Publication
1.Fu Y, Zhu JY, Richman A, Zhao Z, Zhang F, Ray PE, Han Z. A Drosophila model system to assess the function of human monogenic podocyte mutations that cause nephrotic syndrome. Hum Mol Genet. 2017; 26(4):768-780.
2.Gee HY, Zhang F, Ashraf S, Kohl S, Sadowski CE, Vega-Warner V, Zhou W, Lovric S, Fang H, Nettleton M, Zhu JY, Hoefele J, Weber LT, Podracka L, Boor A, Fehrenbach H, Innis JW, Washburn J, Levy S, Lifton RP, Otto EA, Han Z, Hildebrandt F. KANK deficiency leads to podocyte dysfunction and nephrotic syndrome. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2015; 125(6):2375-84.
3.Zhang F, Chen X. The Drosophila nephrocyte has a glomerular filtration system. Nature Reviews Nephrology. 2014; 10(9) 491
4.Zhang F, Zhao Y, Chao Y,Muir K, Han Z. Cubilin and Amnionless Mediate Protein Reabsorption in Drosophila Nephrocytes. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol.2013; 24(2): 209-216.
5.Zhang F, Zhao Y, Han Z.An In Vivo Functional Analysis System for Renal Gene Discovery in Drosophila Pericardial Nephrocytes.J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2013; 24(2): 191-197.