Guanshi Zhang, Ph.D.

Dr. Zhang was trained in metabolomics in his early career, but during his postdoctoral training at The University of California San Diego, his research expanded to mitochondrial biology of diabetic complications and aging-associated diseases, as well as mass spectrometry imaging-based spatial metabolomics/lipidomics. Dr. Zhang is interested in how hyperglycemia/aging leads to cellular dysregulation in different organ systems. His research aims to develop interventions that could ameliorate or reverse the adverse effects of diabetes and aging.

• Professional Background

  Education

  • 2016 - PhD - University of Alberta (Canada)
  • 2012 - BSc - Northwest A&F University (China)

  Training

  • 2018 - Postdoctoral Fellow - Center for Renal Precision Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA)
  • 2017 - Postdoctoral Scholar - Center for Renal Translational Medicine, University of California San Diego
  • 2016 - Postdoctoral Fellow - The Metabolomics Innovation Centre, University of Alberta (Canada)

  Highlights

  2019 - Young Investigator Grant, MSACL-US
  2017 - 2019 Kidney Precision Medicine Project Opportunity Pool Grant, NIH/NIDDK
  2016 - Nominated for the Governor General’s Gold Medal, University of Alberta
  2016 - AFNS Graduate Research Award - Doctoral (The Best Doctorate Thesis in AFNS), University of Alberta
  2015 - Professional Development Award, University of Alberta
  2014-2016 Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Graduate Student Scholarship, Alberta Innovates

  Appointments

  • 2018 - Assistant Professor/Research - UTHSA

• Research & Grants

  Bioactive lipid signaling in aging and diabetic complications
  Precision medicine for kidney disease

  Research profile

  Grants

  AHA, 2021 Career Development Award, Spatial Metabolomics for Diabetic Cardiomyopathy with Diabetic Kidney Disease (PI: Zhang) (Pending)
  NIH/MKTCC, P&F Grant - Integrated spatial lipidomics and trans-omics of glomerular endothelial PLPP3 pathway-related metabolic changes in diabetic kidney disease (PI: Zhang), 2020-2022
  UTHSA, Department of Medicine Clinical and Innovative Therapeutic Award Pilot Program - Integrated evaluation of PLPP3-mediated metabolic pathways in glomerular endothelial cells as novel therapeutic targets for diabetic kidney disease (PI: Zhang), 2020-2021
  NIDDK, UG3-UH3 DK114920 Tissue Interrogation Site for Kidney Precision Medicine Project (PI: Sharma; CO-I: Zhang), 2017-2022

• Service

  Department

  Mentor, Li Liu (MSc, Research Assistant), 2020 - now
  Co-Mentor, Dr. Annapurna Pamreddy (Postdoctoral Fellow), 2019 – now
  Co-Mentor, Carine Jaafar (Visiting PhD Student), 2018 - 2019
  Co-Chair, UTHSA - Department of Medicine Research Discussion Seminars, 2019 - now
  Judge and Reviewer, 23rd Annual Medicine Research Day, Department of Medicine, 2020

  Institutional

  Committee Member, IACUC and IRB, UT Health San Antonio, 2020 - now
  Committee Member and Reviewer, NIH/NIDDK-Sponsored Kidney Precision Medicine
  Project Consortium - Publications and Presentations Committee/ OMICS and Imaging Integration Committee/Molecular and Pathology Committee, 2018 - now

• Publications

  • DESI-MSI and METASPACE indicates lipid abnormalities and altered mitochondrial membrane components in diabetic renal proximal tu
  • Restoring mitochondrial superoxide levels with elamipretide (MTP-131) protects db/db mice against progression of diabetic kidney
  • Warburg effect and diabetic kidney disease
  • A metabolite-GWAS (mGWAS) approach to unveil chronic kidney disease progression
  • Response Surface Methodology As a New Approach for Finding Optimal MALDI Matrix Spraying Parameters for Mass Spectrometry Imagin
  • Storage Conditions of Human Kidney Tissue Sections Affect Spatial Lipidomics Analysis Reproducibility