Yan Zhang, MD, PhD

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Education
2007 - 2013               PhD
University of California, Berkeley

Professional Experience
2013 - Present          Clinician Scientist
University of California, Berkeley

2005 - 2006              Research Fellow    
National Eye Institute
National Institute of Health (NEI/NIH)

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zHANG RECENT RESEARCH

Zhang publications

ZHANG Teaching & mentoring

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I am a clinician by primary training with very strong interest in translational medical research, which is reflected in my decision to first pursue research as part of my M.S. in Ophthalmology and subsequent decisions to pursue research experience at the NEI/NIH. My primary interest in translational research leads me to join the multidisciplinary Vision Science Graduate Research (Ph.D.) Program at UC Berkeley in 2007. Currently, I am a clinician scientist in Wildseot Lab at University of California, Berkeley, and my research in eye growth regulation and refractive development is funded by NEI/NIH.

​The emphasis of my research is the molecular and cellular processes underlying the eye growth regulation in myopia. Specifically, I investigate the role of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in eye growth regulation. Because of the location of RPE between the neural retina and choroid, it may play a critical role in relaying signals from the retina to choroid and sclera. RPE may also play a more direct role in regulating eye growth through the secretion of growth factors and/or cytokines. I use in vivo models to study form-deprivation and lens-induced changes in gene expression in RPE and in vitro cell cultures to study the effect of analogs of retinal neurotransmitters, e.g., apomorphine, on RPE expression and secretion of growth factors. Understanding the role of RPE in eye growth regulation may lead to novel pharmacological and genetic approaches to myopia control.

Current and Previous Research Funding and Awards

• NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award, NEI/NIH (R21, 2019-2020)
• NIH Clinical Investigator Award, NEI/NIH (K08, 2013-2018)
• NIH Physician Scientist Award, NEI/NIH (K12, 2013)
• 15th International Myopia Conference Travel Grant (2015)
• Sek-Jin Chew Travel Grant, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, ARVO Annual Meeting  (2011)
• NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA, Institutional) (2007-2010)

Professional Societies & Services
Member, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
Reviewer for the Following Scientific Journals

• Clinical and Experimental Optometry
• Clinical Ophthalmology
• Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
• Molecular Vision
• Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases
• PeerJ
• PLOS Genetics
• PLOS ONE
• Scientific Reports