Assistant Professor Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Room 411, Evans Hall
4170 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 871-6588 (voice)
(215) 871-6865 (fax)
dianzhengzh@pcom.edu
Education
- PhD Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona
- MS Biochemistry, Hunan Medical University
- BS Chemistry, Qufu Teaching University
Dr. Dianzheng Zhang assumed an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology at PCOM in 2006 after three and a half years of postdoctoral research in the Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine.
Dr. Zhang's general research interests are in the nutrient control of gene expression (transcriptional and translational) in health and diseases. As living organisms we continuously exchange chemical components with the environment; through this exchange, nutrients are implicated in the regulation of gene expression and cell fates, which ultimately confer life or death. With increasing knowledge of the importance of nutrition in our aging population, medicine is shifting its focus from the treatment of acute diseases to the prevention of cancer and chronic diseases. It has been estimated that thirty percent of all cancers could be prevented by attention to dietary factors. Dr. Zhang is particularly interested in the regulation of gene expression by micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, as well as phytochemicals. Presently, Dr. Zhang's research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of different phytochemicals in prostate cancer chemoprevention. Presently, there is a technician, an MS student and a second year DO (Doctor of Osteopathy) student working in Dr. Zhang's laboratory.
In addition, Dr. Zhang has recently accepted a visiting professor position at the Central South University in the People's Republic of China, which will foster international collaborations in both medical teaching and research.
Publications
Wen-feng Shi, Melanie Leong, Ellen Cho, Joseph Farrell, Han-chun Chen, Jun Tian and Dianzheng Zhang (2009) Repressive Effects of Resveratrol on Androgen Receptor Transcriptional Activity. Plos ONE 4 (10), e7398: 1-10
Melanie Leong, Wen-feng Shi, Jun Tian, Ellen Cho, Abbas Raza, Saquib A. Siddiqi, Abdulhafez Selim, Han-chun Chen, and Dianzheng Zhang (2009) Overexpression of truncated ERG from TMPRSS2-ERG fusion and Prostate Cancer Development. Pathology and Lab Medicine International 1:13-21
Zhang, D., Cho, E. and Wong, J. (2007) A critical role for the co-repressor N-CoR in erythroid differentiation and heme synthesis. Cell Research 17 (9): 804-14
Li, J., Zhang, D., Fu, J., Huang, Z. and Wong, J. (2007) Structural and functional analysis of androgen receptor in chromatin. Molecular Endocrinology (2007 Jan 16, Epub ahead of print)
Geiser D.L., Zhang, D., Winzerling, J. J. (2006) Secreted ferritin: Mosquito defense against iron overload? Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 36 (3): 177-187
Zhang, D., Yoon, H. and Wong, J. (2005) JMJD2A is a novel N-CoR interacting protein and is involved in repression of the human transcription factor Achaete Scute-Like Homologue-2 (ASCL2/HASH2). Molecular and Cellular Biology 25 (15): 6404-6414
Thompson, P. R., Wang, D., Wang, L., Fulco, M., Pediconi, N., Zhang, D., An, W., Ge Q., Roeder, R.G., Wong, J., Levrero M., Sartorelli V., Cotter R. J., Cole P.A. (2004) Regulation of the p300 HAT domain via a novel activation loop. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology 11(4): 308-415
Mayo, J., Kohlhepp, E., Zhang, D., and Winzerling, J. (2004) Effects of Sham air and cigarette smoke on A549 lung cells implications for iron-mediated oxidative damage. American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology 284(4): L866-876
Zhang, D., Dimopoulos, G., Wolf, A., Minana, B., Kafatos, F., and Winzerling, J. (2002) Cloning and molecular characterization of two mosquito iron regulatory protein 1 genes. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 32 (5): 579-589
Gailer, J., George, G., Pickering, I., Prince R., Kohlhepp, P., Zhang, D., F. Walker, A. and Winzerling, J. (2001) Human cytosolic iron regulatory protein 1 contains a linear iron-sulfur cluster. Journal of American Chemical Society 123 (41): 10121-10122
