Zhao Lab
Dr. Shangang Zhao, Ph.D.
Shangang Zhao, Ph.D, is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Barshop Institute and Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine. He joined in the UT Health San Antonio in November 2022.
Originally from China, Dr. Zhao holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Ningbo University and obtained his first master's degree in microbiology in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and then completed his second master and Ph.D. degrees at University of Montreal in Canada in the laboratory of Dr. Marc Prentki. After that, Dr. Zhao moved to UT Southwestern Medical Center for his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Philipp Scherer.
Dr. Zhao is highly interested in adipokines- and lipid signal-mediated tissue crosstalk. Recently, he found that partial leptin reduction is a novel means to combat obesity and diabetes, which is against the prevailing view of leptin's function. Moreover, he is interested in several novel lipid signals, which are implicated in metabolic health and aging-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Zhao is active in several professional societies, including American Diabetes Association, American Aging Association and Chinese American Diabetes Association. He also serves on the editorial board of Aging Cell.
Dr. Guannan Li, Ph.D.
Dr. Guannan Li joined Zhao lab in 2023. His research is focused on metabolic diseases and aging. He has worked in UTHSCSA for 5 years as of 2024, and he enjoys his job in UTHSCSA and Zhao lab very much.
Xiaomeng Xu
Xiaomeng Xu is currently a research technician in the lab. She obtained her bachelor's degree from Jilin University, Jinlin, China. In her spare time, Xiaomeng enjoys swimming and jogging.
Nisi Jiang, M.S., Ph.D. Student
Nisi is a graduate student in the IBMS program, his research focused on the sex differences in aging and anti-aging interventions. His research aims to uncover whether metabolic differences between sexes contribute to the observed variations in aging processes and responses to anti-aging treatments. In his spare time, Nisi enjoys traveling and photography.
Mbolle Ekane, M.S., Ph.D. Student
Mbolle is a PhD student in the Biology of Aging Discipline at UTHSCSA. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with her Bachelor of Science, where she conducted research in computational chemistry and disease diagnostics. After working on Alzheimer’s Disease diseases research at Northwestern University, where she completed her master’s in biotechnology, she joined the Zhao Lab in 2024 to continue her studies. Mbolle’s research in the Zhao lab focuses on elucidating the importance of different proteins and their role in neurodegenerative disease progression. Outside of lab, Mbolle enjoys traveling and loves to visit art museums around the world.
Noah Lawrence, B.S., GCert
Noah is a Research Assistant in the Zhao Lab who studied Biology and Healthcare Management at UT Dallas. More recently, he graduated as part of the inaugural class of UTHSCSA's Pre-Professional Graduate Certificate Program, studying Cell Systems & Anatomy.
JiYuan Yin, M.S. Student
Jiyuan is a visiting student in Zhao lab who majors pharmacology in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. He obtained his bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and went on to pursue a master's degree. Now, he comes to the lab to learn about the field of metabolism and aging and to train his laboratory skills in preparation for his PhD application. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym, playing basketball and video games.