Hong Zhao

Hong Zhao, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Molecular Biology in Medicine, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Advanced Cellular and Tissue Microscopy Core


hzhao@houstonmethodist.org
Biography

Dr. Zhao joined the Houston Methodist Research Institute in 2008. She is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research and the International Association for Biological and Medical Research. She has been published in prestigious journals including Science Translational Medicine, Cancer Cell, Cancer Research, et al. 

Description of Research

Dr. Zhao's research uses systems biology approaches to study and combat brain metastatic cancer. Her projects integrate "dry lab" computational modeling with "wet lab" experimental testing to discover effective  treatment strategies and explore personalized drug combinations. 

Areas Of Expertise

Computational modeling Brain metastasis Breast cancer Systems biology Imaging
Education & Training

PhD, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Houston Methodist
Patents

COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVELY INHIBITING INTESTINAL CARBOXYLESTERASE 2 ENZYME ACTIVITY

Patent Number: 10,314,811, Jun 11 2019


COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR TREATING EWING FAMILY TUMORS

Patent Number: PCT/US2016/047984, Jan 01 2016


COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVELY INHIBITING MAMMALIAN INTESTINAL CARBOXYLESTERASE 2 ENZYME ACTIVITY

Patent Number: PCT/US16/47544, Jan 01 2016


MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTIC METHODS FOR PREDICTING BRAIN METASTASIS OF BREAST CANCER

Patent Number: US2012184560, Jul 19 2012

Publications

Label-free optical imaging for brain cancer assessment
Raghunathan, R, Vasquez, M, Zhang, K, Zhao, H & Wong, STC 2024, , Trends in Cancer, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 557-570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2024.03.005

Translational strategies and systems biology insights for blood-brain barrier opening and delivery in brain tumors and Alzheimer's disease
Song, G, Plumlee, P, Ahn, JY, Wong, STC & Zhao, H 2023, , Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, vol. 167, 115450, pp. 115450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115450

Social Determinants of Health, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Individuals of Vietnamese Origin
Nguyen, RT, Meyer, O, Chu, J, Le, V, Ho, TV, Le, A, Trinh, T, Shah, NS, Zhao, H, Nasir, K & Cainzos-Achirica, M 2023, , American Journal of Cardiology, vol. 189, pp. 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2022.11.028

Clinical advancement of precision theranostics in prostate cancer
Tan, Y, Fang, Z, Tang, Y, Liu, K & Zhao, H 2023, , Frontiers in Oncology, vol. 13, 1072510, pp. 1072510. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2023.1072510

The emerging roles of TLR and cGAS signaling in tumorigenesis and progression of ovarian cancer
Zhang, Z, Zhao, H, Chu, C, Fu, X, Liu, Y, Wang, L, Wei, R, Xu, K, Li, L & Li, X 2022, , Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 13, 1072670. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.1072670

Social Determinants of Health, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Individuals With Vietnamese Origin
Zhao, H 2022, , American Journal of Cardiology, pp. 11-21.

Ex vivo expanded human regulatory T cells modify neuroinflammation in a preclinical model of Alzheimer’s disease
Faridar, A, Vasquez, M, Thome, AD, Yin, Z, Xuan, H, Wang, JH, Wen, S, Li, X, Thonhoff, JR, Zhao, W, Zhao, H, Beers, DR, Wong, STC, Masdeu, JC & Appel, SH 2022, , Acta Neuropathologica Communications, vol. 10, no. 1, 144. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40478-022-01447-z

Methyladenosine Modification in RNAs: From Regulatory Roles to Therapeutic Implications in Cancer
Qu, X, Zhang, Y, Sang, X, Ren, D, Zhao, H & Wong, STC 2022, , Cancers, vol. 14, no. 13, 3195. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14133195

Delineating Region-specific Tumor-neural Communication with Spatiotemporal Transcriptomics and Multi-cellular Crosstalk Modeling in Brain Metastasis
Zhao, H 2022, , AACR Annual Meeting 2022, 4/15/22.

Spatiotemporal gene expression analysis to identify novel tumor-neural crosstalk in TNBC brain metastases: Cancer Res (2022) 82 (4_Supplement): P5-06-01.
Zhao, H, Wang, X, Sheng, J, Xu, S, Gao, D & Wong, ST 2022, . https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.SABCS21-P5-06-01

Risk factors and machine learning model for predicting hospitalization outcomes in geriatric patients with dementia
Wang, X, Ezeana, CF, Wang, L, Puppala, M, Huang, Y-S, He, Y, Yu, X, Yin, Z, Zhao, H, Lai, EC & Wong, STC 2022, , Alzheimers and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, vol. 8, no. 1, e12351, pp. e12351. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.12351

Human Cytomegalovirus Reactivation in Immunosuppressive Th2 Tumor Microenvironment Facilitates Brain Metastatic Outgrowth
Zhao, H & Wong, ST 2022, . in Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr PD2-11. <https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.SABCS22-PD2-11>

Risk factors and machine learning model for predicting hospitalization outcomes in geriatric patients with dementia
Wang, X, Ezeana, CF, Wang, L, Puppala, M, Huang, YS, He, Y, Yu, X, Yin, Z, Zhao, H, Lai, EC & Wong, STC 2022, , Alzheimers and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, vol. 8, no. 1, e12351. https://doi.org/10.1002/trc2.12351

Artificial intelligence-augmented, label-free molecular imaging method for tissue identification, cancer diagnosis, and cancer margin detection
Li, J, Liu, J, Wang, Y, He, Y, Liu, K, Raghunathan, R, Shen, SS, He, T, Yu, X, Danforth, R, Zheng, F, Zhao, H & Wong, STC 2021, , Biomedical Optics Express, vol. 12, no. 9, pp. 5559-5582. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.428738

The Progress of Label-Free Optical Imaging in Alzheimer’s Disease Screening and Diagnosis
Liu, K, Li, J, Raghunathan, R, Zhao, H, Li, X & Wong, STC 2021, , Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, vol. 13, 699024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2021.699024

Novel STAT3 small-molecule inhibitors identified by structure-based virtual ligand screening incorporating SH2 domain flexibility
Kong, R, Bharadwaj, U, Eckols, TK, Kolosov, M, Wu, H, Cruz-Pavlovich, FJS, Shaw, A, Ifelayo, OI, Zhao, H, Kasembeli, MM, Wong, STC & Tweardy, DJ 2021, , Pharmacological Research, vol. 169, 105637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105637

64Cu/177Lu-DOTA-diZD, a Small-Molecule-Based Theranostic Pair for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Huang, Y, Yang, Z, Li, F, Zhao, H, Li, C, Yu, N, Hamilton, DJ & Li, Z 2021, , Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 2705-2713. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01957

Deep learning powers cancer diagnosis in digital pathology
He, Y, Zhao, H & Wong, STC 2021, , Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics, vol. 88, 101820, pp. 101820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compmedimag.2020.101820

Emerging treatment strategies for breast cancer brain metastasis: from translational therapeutics to real-world experience
Ren, D, Cheng, H, Wang, X, Vishnoi, M, Teh, BS, Rostomily, R, Chang, JC, Wong, ST & Zhao, H 2020, , Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology, vol. 12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1758835920936151

OCIAD1 contributes to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease by inducing mitochondria dysfunction, neuronal vulnerability and synaptic damages
Li, X, Wang, L, Cykowski, MD, He, T, Liu, T, Chakranarayan, J, Rivera, A, Zhao, H, Powell, SZ-E, Xia, W & Wong, ST 2020, , EBioMedicine, vol. 51, 102569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.11.030

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