Hanover, NH – June 10, 2024 - The Department of Epidemiology at Dartmouth College is proud to announce that Dr. Ze Zhang is the 2024 recipient of the prestigious John W. Strohbehn Award. This distinguished honor is awarded to a graduating Ph.D. candidate who exemplifies the highest qualities of scientific leadership, intellectual curiosity, dedication to the pursuit of new scientific knowledge and a sense of social responsibility to the research community.
Dr. Zhang completed his thesis research in the laboratory of Dr. Lucas A. Salas, in the Department of Epidemiology, as part of the Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (QBS) graduate program. His thesis, titled “DNA Methylation-based Epigenetic Biomarkers in Cell-Type Deconvolution and Tumor Tissue of Origin Identification,” represents a groundbreaking advancement in molecular biology and precision medicine.
Dr. Zhang’s innovative research utilizes DNA methylation as a biomarker to unravel the complexities of human diseases. His methodologies, including the Hierarchical Tumor Immune Microenvironment Deconvolution (HiTIMED) and the Hierarchical Brain Extended Deconvolution (HiBED), have set new benchmarks in the field by providing unprecedented resolution in identifying cell compositions in complex tissues like the brain and tumors. Furthermore, his work on the Hierarchical Tumor Artificial Intelligence Classifier (HiTAIC) promises to enhance cancer diagnosis and management, particularly for cancers of unknown origin.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Zhang maintained an impressive output of high-quality publications, totaling fourteen during his PhD training, with seven as first-author. His research has advanced our understanding of DNA methylation and its applications in disease diagnostics and laid the foundation for future research in epigenetics, neurodegeneration, and cancer biology.
Dr. Zhang is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he continues advancing his precision medicine research.
The John W. Strohbehn Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research honors Dr. John W. Strohbehn, a distinguished professor and researcher who made significant contributions to the field of biomedical research. The award is given annually to a PhD student who best exemplifies the qualities of a scientific leader.
Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Dr. Ze Zhang!