Yanqiao Zhang, MD, FAHA, to join the College of Medicine – Phoenix as director of the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Program

Yanqiao Zhang, MD, FAHA, will join the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix as director of the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Program, member of the Translational Cardiovascular Research Center and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. 

Zhang is a distinguished research scientist whose work explores the pathogenesis of diseases associated with dysregulation of lipid, bile acid and glucose metabolism — including fatty liver disease, diabetes and atherosclerosis, and mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The goal of Zhang’s research is to identify novel therapeutic approaches for treatment of these metabolic disorders.

He is recognized nationally and internationally for his research and the advancements his work has contributed to the body of knowledge in metabolic disorders. The importance of this research is significant as the metabolic disorders studied by Zhang affect the health and wellbeing of millions of people.

Zhang joins the college from Northeast Ohio Medical University, or NEOMED, where he is a distinguished professor of integrative medical sciences and director of the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Research focus area. He also serves as graduate professor of biomedical sciences at Kent State University.

He has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. Notably, he was named distinguished university professor at NEOMED in March 2024 and was recently selected as a fellow by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. His other awards include the Scientist Development Award, Beginning Grant-in-Award from the American Heart Association, Fellow of the AHA, George J. Popjak Scholar Award on Atherosclerosis from UCLA, and a Junior Faculty Award and Outstanding Research Award both from NEOMED. He has published papers in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Genes and Development, Nature Communications, Hepatology and other high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.

Zhang is currently the principal investigator on four NIH R01 grants, with three additional R01 grants in review.

Zhang earned his medical degree and Master of Science from Wuhan University School of Medicine in China. He completed postdoctoral training at West Virginia University and the University of California at Los Angeles. 

Zhang will assume his role on July 8, 2024.