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Hua Zhao, PhD

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Division of OVP, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Office Address

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1155 Pressler Street
Department of Epidemiology
Unit Number: 1340
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 745-7597
Fax: (713) 794-1964

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

2003 The University of Texas, School of Public Health at Houston, Houston, TX, PHD, Molecular and Cancer Epidemiology
1999 The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, PHD, Candidate in Molecular Medicine
1998 Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology, Shanghai, China, MS, Cell Biology
1995 Fudan University, Shanghai, China, BS, Genetics

Postgraduate Training

8/2003-10/2004 Research Fellowship, Molecular Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Yao S, Zirpoli G, Bovbjerg DH, Jandorf L, Hong CC, Zhao H, Sucheston LE, Tang L, Roberts M, Ciupak G, Davis W, Hwang H, Johnson CS, Trump DL, McCann SE, Ademuyiwa F, Pawlish KS, Bandera EV, Ambrosone CB. Variants in the vitamin D pathway, serum levels of vitamin D, and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer among African-American women: a case-control study. Breast Cancer Res 14(2):R58, 4/2012.
2. Shen J, Wang D, Gregory S, Medico L, Hu Q, Yan L, Odunsi K, Lele SB, Ambrosone CB, Liu S, Zhao H. Evaluation of microRNA expression profiles and their associations with risk alleles in lymphoblastoid cell lines of familial ovarian cancer. Carcinogenesis 33(3):604, 1/2012.
3. Hu Q, Wang D, Yan L, Zhao H, Liu S. VPA: an R tool for analyzing sequencing variants with user-specified frequency pattern. BMC Research Notes 5(31), 1/2012.
4. Sucheston LE, Zhao H, Yao S, Zirpoli G, Liu S, Barlow WE, Moore HC, Thomas Budd G, Hershman DL, Davis W, Ciupak GL, Stewart JA, Isaacs C, Hobday TJ, Salim M, Hortobagyi GN, Gralow JR, Livingston RB, Albain KS, Hayes DF, Ambrosone CB. Genetic predictors of taxane-induced neurotoxicity in a SWOG phase III intergroup adjuvant breast cancer treatment trial (S0221). Breast Cancer Res Treat 130(3):993-1002, 12/2011.
5. Shen J, Medico L, Zhao H. Allelic imbalance in BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene expression and familial Ovarian cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 20(1):50-6, 1/2011.
6. Yao S, Barlow WE, Albain KS, Choi JY, Zhao H, Livingston RB, Davis W, Rae JM, Yeh IT, Hutchins LF, Ravdin PM, Martino S, Lyss AP, Osborne CK, Abeloff M, Hortobagyi GN, Hayes DF, Ambrosone CB. Gene polymorphisms in cyclophosphamide metabolism pathway, treatment-related toxicity, and disease-free survival in SWOG 8897 clinical trial for breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res 16(24):6169-76, 12/2010.
7. Yao S, Barlow WE, Albain KS, Choi JY, Zhao H, Livingston RB, Davis W, Rae JM, Yeh IT, Hutchins LF, Ravdin PM, Martino S, Lyss AP, Osborne CK, Abeloff MD, Hortobagyi GN, Hayes DF, Ambrosone CB. Manganese superoxide dismutase polymorphism, treatment-related toxicity and disease-free survival in SWOG 8897 clinical trial for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 124(2):433-9, 11/2010.
8. Zhao H, Shen J, Medico L, Wang D, Ambrosone CB, Liu S. A pilot study of circulating miRNAs as potential biomarkers of early stage breast cancer. PLoS One 5(10):e13735, 10/2010.
9. Shen J, DiCioccio R, Odunsi K, Lele SB, Zhao H. Novel genetic variants in miR-191 gene and familial ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 10(47), 2/2010.
10. Shen J, Platek M, Mahasneh A, Ambrosone CB, Zhao H. Mitochondrial copy number and risk of breast cancer: a pilot study. Mitochondrion 10(1):62-8, 1/2010. PMID: 19788937.
11. Zhao H, Shen J, Medico L, Platek M, Ambrosone CB. Length heteroplasmies in human mitochondrial DNA control regions and breast cancer risk. Int J Mol Epidemiol Genet 1(3):184-192, 2010.
12. Shen J, Ambrosone CB, Zhao H. Novel genetic variants in microRNA genes and Familial Breast Cancer. Int J Cancer 124(5):1178-82, 3/2009.
13. Horikawa Y, Wood CG, Yang H, Zhao H, Ye Y, Gu J, Lin J, Habuchi T, Wu X. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of microRNA machinery genes modify the risk of renal cell carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 14(23):7956-62, 12/2008.
14. Shen J, Ambrosone CB, Dicioccio R, Odunsi K, Lele SB, Zhao H. A functional polymorphism in the miR-146a gene and age of familial breast/ovarian cancer diagnosis. Carcinogenesis 29(10):1963-6, 10/2008.
15. Lin EH, Hassan M, Li Y, Zhao H, Nooka A, Sorenson E, Xie K, Champlin R, Wu X, Li D. Elevated circulating endothelial progenitor marker CD133 messenger RNA levels predict colon cancer recurrence. Cancer 110(3):534-42, 8/1/2007. PMID: 17594720.
16. Lin EH, Hassan M, Zhang Y, Nooka A, Zhao H, Sorenson E, Xie K, Champlin R, Wu X, and Li D. Elevated circulating endothelial progenitor marker CD133 mRNA predict colon cancer recurrence. Cancer 110(3):534-42, 8/2007.
17. Xing J, Spitz MR, Lu C, Zhao H, Yang H, Wang W, Stewart DJ, Wu X. Deficient G2-M and S checkpoints are associated with increased lung cancer risk: a case-control analysis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16(7):1517-22, 7/2007. PMID: 17627019.
18. Zhao H, Lin J, Grossman HB, Hernandez LM, Dinney CP, Wu X. Dietary isothiocyanates, GSTM1, GSTT1, NAT2 polymorphisms and bladder cancer risk. Int J Cancer 120(10):2208-13, 5/15/2007. PMID: 17290402.
19. Zhu Y, Xing J, Zhao H, Yang H, Chen M, Spitz MR, Wu X. Differential induction in telomerase activity among bladder cancer patients and controls on y-radiation. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16(3):606-9, 3/2007.
20. Shen J, Deininger P, Hunt JD, Zhao H. 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) as a potential survival biomarker in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer 109(3):574-80, 2/2007.
21. Zhao H, Shen J, Deininger P, and Hunt JD. Abasic sites and survival in resected patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Cancr Lett 246(1-2):47-53, 2/2007.
22. Shen J, Deininger PL, Zhao H. Applications of computational algorithm tools to identify functional SNPs in cytokine genes. Cytokine 35(1-2):62-6, 7/2006.
23. Lu C, Spitz MR, Zhao H, Dong Q, Truong M, Chang JY, Blumenschein GR, Hong WK, Wu X. Association between glutathione S-transferase pi polymorphisms and survival in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. Cancer 106(2):441-7, 1/15/2006. PMID: 16342067.
24. Zhao H, Liang D, Grossman HB, Wu X. Glutathione peroxidase 1 gene polymorphism and risk of recurrence in patients with superficial bladder cancer. Urology 66(4):769-74, 10/2005. PMID: 16230136.
25. Gu J, Spitz MR, Zhao H, Lin J, Grossman HB, Dinney CP, Wu X. Roles of tumor suppressor and telomere maintenance genes in cancer and aging - an epidemiological study. Carcinogenesis 26(10):1741-7, 10/2005. e-Pub 5/2005. PMID: 15905204.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: Mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy and breast cancer risk
Funding Source: NIH
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 9/1/2012 - 8/31/2014
 
Title: Sequencing to identify novel breast cancer risk factors in African American women
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 7/1/2012 - 6/30/2013
 
Title: MicroRNAs and breast cancer predisposition
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 8/20/2009 - 5/31/2013

Last updated: 3/4/2013