WFUWake Forest University · Biology
Zhang OncoLab
Wei Zhang · Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Wei Zhang's lab at Wake Forest University focuses on addressing health disparities in lung cancer treatment, particularly between Black and White patients. The lab investigates how differences in tumor biology and metabolism affect treatment responses, aiming to develop novel therapeutic strategies that enhance immune responses in cancer. Their work combines cutting-edge genomic technologies and preclinical models to discover new ways to improve outcomes for underserved populations.
lung cancerhealth disparitiesimmune checkpoint blockaderedox metabolismfatty acid metabolismsingle-cell RNA sequencingpersonalized medicinetumor microenvironmentdrug combinationspreclinical research
Research Aims
3AIM 01Generate high-resolution spatial single-cell expression profiles of the tumor microenvironment in Black and White NSCLC patients.
AIM 02Link specific genomic events in Black NSCLC patients to altered redox and fatty acid metabolism.
AIM 03Demonstrate through pre-clinical models that targeting metabolism can enhance the tumor microenvironment and improve immune response.
Skills the Lab Values
single-cell RNA sequencingtumor microenvironment analysismouse modelsdrug combination developmentgenomic profilingcell culturebiopsy techniquesimmune cell characterizationmetabolic assaystherapeutic targeting
Output against the department
Publications958top 2% of dept.16th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations18ktop 22% of dept.227th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.