Dan Zhao, MD, PhD
Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
2009 | Cancer Hospital and National Cancer Institute, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, CHN, PHD, Oncology |
2004 | Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, CHN, MD, Medicine |
Postgraduate Training
2017-2020 | Clinical Fellowship, Hematology/Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center/Harbor-UCLA, Duarte, CA |
2014-2017 | Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY |
2012-2014 | Research Fellowship, Mass General Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA |
2009-2012 | Research Fellowship, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD |
Board Certifications
2020 | Medical Oncology |
2020 | Hematology |
2017 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal (GI) Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2020 - Present
Honors & Awards
2012 | First Prize of Natural Science Award, Ministry of Education of China |
2012 | Third Prize of Medical Science and Technology Award, Chinese Medical Association |
2010 | Best Doctoral Thesis Award, Beijing City |
2008 | Outstanding Student Award, Peking Union Medical College , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences |
2006 | Outstanding Student Award, Peking Union Medical College , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences |
2003 | Leadership Award, Tongji Medical College |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Yousef A, Yousef M, Chowdhury S, Abdilleh K, Knafl M, Edelkamp P, Alfaro-Munoz K, Chacko R, Peterson J, Smaglo BG, Wolff RA, Pant S, Lee MS, Willis J, Overman M, Doss S, Matrisian L, Hurd MW, Snyder R, Katz MHG, Wang H, Maitra A, Shen JP, Zhao D. Impact of KRAS Mutations and Co-mutations on Clinical Outcomes in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Res Sq, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37609177.
- Liang TZ, Katz MHG, Prakash LR, Chatterjee D, Wang H, Kim M, Tzeng CD, Ikoma N, Wolff RA, Zhao D, Koay EJ, Maitra A, Kundu S, Wang H. Comparative Analyses of the Clinicopathologic Features of Short-Term and Long-Term Survivors of Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Who Received Neoadjuvant Therapy and Pancreatoduodenectomy. Cancers (Basel) 15(12), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37370842.
- Tong YT, Lai Z, Katz MHG, Prakash LR, Wang H, Chatterjee D, Kim M, Tzeng CD, Lee JE, Ikoma N, Rashid A, Wolff RA, Zhao D, Koay EJ, Maitra A, Wang H. Prognosticators for Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Who Received Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX or Gemcitabine/Nab-Paclitaxel Therapy and Pancreatectomy. Cancers (Basel) 15(9), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37174073.
- Sohn AJ, Taherian M, Katz MHG, Prakash LR, Chatterjee D, Wang H, Kim M, Tzeng CD, Lee JE, Ikoma N, Rashid A, Wolff RA, Zhao D, Koay EJ, Sun R, Maitra A, Wang H. Integrated Pathologic Score Effectively Stratifies Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Who Received Neoadjuvant Therapy and Pancreaticoduodenectomy. Am J Surg Pathol 47(4):421-430, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36746143.
- Machado AP, Shatila M, De Toni EN, Török HP, Philpott J, Zhao D, Zhou Y, Varatharajalu K, Shafi MA, Zhang HC, Thomas AS, Wang Y. Colon Adenoma After Diagnosis of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-mediated Colitis. J Cancer 14(14):2686-2693, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37779873.
- Govindarajan A, Salgia NJ, Li H, Castro DV, Mirzapoiazova T, Armstrong B, Zhao D, Mercier BD, Dizman N, Chawla N, Zengin Z, Meza L, Tripathi N, Sayegh N, Chehrazi-Raffle A, Tripathi A, Pal SK. Characterization of papillary and clear cell renal cell carcinoma through imaging mass cytometry reveals distinct immunologic profiles. Front Immunol 14:1182581, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37638025.
- Pizuorno Machado A, Shatila M, Liu C, Lu Y, Altan M, Glitza Oliva IC, Zhao D, Zhang HC, Thomas A, Wang Y. Characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients with bowel perforation after immune checkpoint inhibitor exposure. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36611109.
- Zhao D, Li H, Mambetsariev I, Mirzapoiazova T, Chen C, Fricke J, Kulkarni P, Villaflor V, Arvanitis L, Hamilton S, Afkhami M, Pillai R, Armstrong B, Erhunmwunsee L, Massarelli E, Sattler M, Amini A, Salgia R. Clinical and Molecular Features of KRAS-Mutated Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 14(19), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36230855.
- Yu K, Mathew A, Abraham F, Amin R, Kono M, Overman M, Zhao D, Khan A, Khan MA, Thomas AS, Wang Y. Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related gastrointestinal toxicity in patients with malignancy involving the luminal gastrointestinal tract and its impact on cancer outcomes. Ann Gastroenterol 35(5):514-521, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36061157.
- Hollander B, Khurana S, Jacob JS, Altan M, Wang J, Zhao D, Varatharajalu K, Alasadi M, Thomas AS, Wang Y. Mesalamine and cholestyramine for immune checkpoint inhibitor-mediated diarrhea and colitis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35972690.
- Zhao D, Li H, Mambetsariev I, Chen C, Pharaon R, Fricke J, Baroz AR, Kulkarni P, Xing Y, Massarelli E, Koczywas M, Reckamp KL, Margolin K, Salgia R.. Molecular and Clinical Features of Hospital Admissions in Patients with Thoracic Malignancies on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 13(11):2653, 2021. PMID: 34071259.
- Zhao D, Mambetsariev I, Li H, Chen C, Fricke J, Fann P, Kulkarni P, Xing Y, Lee PP, Bild A, Massarelli E, Koczywas M, Reckamp K, Salgia R. Association of molecular characteristics with survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors. Lung Cancer 146:174-181, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32554069.
- Chao J, Bedell V, Lee J, Li MS, Chu P, Yuan YC, Zhao D, Klempner SJ, Lin RJ. Association Between Spatial Heterogeneity Within Nonmetastatic Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinomas and Survival. JAMA Netw Open 3(4):e203652, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32338752.
- Zhao D, Klempner SJ, Chao J. Progress and challenges in HER2-positive gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. J Hematol Oncol 12(1):50, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31101074.
- Kang A, Zhao D, Yeh JJ, Lee DJ.. Updates on Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Skin Cancer. Current Dermatology Reports 7(4):311-320, 2018.
- Tan B, Morales-Mangual C, Zhao D, Khan A, Chadow H. Wellens syndrome in HIV-infected patients: Two case reports. Medicine (Baltimore) 96(24):e7152, 2017. PMID: 28614245.
- Prabhu VV, Lulla AR, Madhukar NS, Ralff MD, Zhao D, Kline CLB, Van den Heuvel APJ, Lev A, Garnett MJ, McDermott U, Benes CH, Batchelor TT, Chi AS, Elemento O, Allen JE, El-Deiry WS. Cancer stem cell-related gene expression as a potential biomarker of response for first-in-class imipridone ONC201 in solid tumors. PLoS One 12(8):e0180541, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28767654.
- Tateishi K, Wakimoto H, Iafrate AJ, Tanaka S, Loebel F, Lelic N, Wiederschain D, Bedel O, Deng G, Zhang B, He T, Shi X, Gerszten RE, Zhang Y, Yeh JJ, Curry WT, Zhao D, Sundaram S, Nigim F, Koerner MVA, Ho Q, Fisher DE, Roider EM, Kemeny LV, Samuels Y, Flaherty KT, Batchelor TT, Chi AS, Cahill DP. Extreme Vulnerability of IDH1 Mutant Cancers to NAD+ Depletion. Cancer Cell 28(6):773-784, 2015. PMID: 26678339.
- Wakimoto H, Tanaka S, Curry WT, Loebel F, Zhao D, Tateishi K, Chen J, Klofas LK, Lelic N, Kim JC, Dias-Santagata D, Ellisen LW, Borger DR, Fendt SM, Vander Heiden MG, Batchelor TT, Iafrate AJ, Cahill DP, Chi AS. Targetable signaling pathway mutations are associated with malignant phenotype in IDH-mutant gliomas. Clin Cancer Res 20(11):2898-909, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24714777.
- Zhang T, Zhao D, Wang Q, Yu X, Cui Y, Guo L, Lu SH. MicroRNA-1322 regulates ECRG2 allele specifically and acts as a potential biomarker in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Carcinog 52(8):581-90, 2013. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22315007.
- Zhang T, Wang Q, Zhao D, Cui Y, Cao B, Guo L, Lu SH. The oncogenetic role of microRNA-31 as a potential biomarker in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Clin Sci (Lond) 121(10):437-47, 2011. PMID: 21658006.
- Guo Y, Zhang X, Yang M, Miao X, Shi Y, Yao J, Tan W, Sun T, Zhao D, Yu D, Liu J, Lin D. Functional evaluation of missense variations in the human MAD1L1 and MAD2L1 genes and their impact on susceptibility to lung cancer. J Med Genet 47(9):616-22, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20516147.
- Zhao D, Zhang X, Guo Y, Tan W, Lin D. Cyclooxygenase-2 Gly587Arg variant is associated with differential enzymatic activity and risk of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma. Mol Carcinog 48(10):934-41, 2009. PMID: 19347867.
- Wang G, Yu D, Tan W, Zhao D, Wu C, Lin D. Genetic polymorphism in chemokine CCL22 and susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori infection-related gastric carcinoma. Cancer 115(11):2430-7, 2009. PMID: 19298002.
- Zhao D, Xu D, Zhang X, Wang L, Tan W, Guo Y, Yu D, Li H, Zhao P, Lin D. Interaction of cyclooxygenase-2 variants and smoking in pancreatic cancer: a possible role of nucleophosmin. Gastroenterology 136(5):1659-68, 2009. PMID: 19422084.
- Chen H, Yu D, Luo A, Tan W, Zhang C, Zhao D, Yang M, Liu J, Lin D, Liu Z. Functional role of S100A14 genetic variants and their association with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Res 69(8):3451-7, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19351828.
- Hu D, Tong S, Wei R, Hui Z, Haidan L, Zhi D, Lili L, Wen T, Dan Z, Yanfeng L, Dongxin L, Ya C. The polymorphisms on Igkappa gene are related to susceptibility of breast cancer and gastric cancer. Genet Test 12(4):575-80, 2008. PMID: 19072568.
- Yu D, Zhang X, Liu J, Yuan P, Tan W, Guo Y, Sun T, Zhao D, Yang M, Liu J, Xu B, Lin D. Characterization of functional excision repair cross-complementation group 1 variants and their association with lung cancer risk and prognosis. Clin Cancer Res 14(9):2878-86, 2008. PMID: 18451256.
- Yang M, Sun T, Wang L, Yu D, Zhang X, Miao X, Liu J, Zhao D, Li H, Tan W, Lin D. Functional variants in cell death pathway genes and risk of pancreatic cancer. Clin Cancer Res 14(10):3230-6, 2008. PMID: 18483392.
- Wang H, Liu Y, Tan W, Zhang Y, Zhao N, Jiang Y, Lin C, Hao B, Zhao D, Qian J, Lu D, Jin L, Wei Q, Lin D, He F. Association of the variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism in the promoter region of the SMYD3 gene with risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in relation to tobacco smoking. Cancer Sci 99(4):787-91, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18294291.
- Yang M, Guo Y, Zhang X, Miao X, Tan W, Sun T, Zhao D, Yu D, Liu J, Lin D. Interaction of P53 Arg72Pro and MDM2 T309G polymorphisms and their associations with risk of gastric cardia cancer. Carcinogenesis 28(9):1996-2001, 2007. e-Pub 2007. PMID: 17638920.
- Tan W, Wu J, Zhang X, Guo Y, Liu J, Sun T, Zhang B, Zhao D, Yang M, Yu D, Lin D. Associations of functional polymorphisms in cyclooxygenase-2 and platelet 12-lipoxygenase with risk of occurrence and advanced disease status of colorectal cancer. Carcinogenesis 28(6):1197-201, 2007. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 17151091.
- Zhang B, Sun T, Xue L, Han X, Zhang B, Lu N, Shi Y, Tan W, Zhou Y, Zhao D, Zhang X, Guo Y, Lin D. Functional polymorphisms in FAS and FASL contribute to increased apoptosis of tumor infiltration lymphocytes and risk of breast cancer. Carcinogenesis 28(5):1067-73, 2007. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 17183065.
- Zhao D, Sun T, Zhang X, Guo Y, Yu D, Yang M, Tan W, Wang G, Lin D. Role of CD14 promoter polymorphisms in Helicobacter pylori infection--related gastric carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 13(8):2362-8, 2007. PMID: 17438094.
- Guo Y, Zhang X, Tan W, Miao X, Sun T, Zhao D, Lin D. Platelet 12-lipoxygenase Arg261Gln polymorphism: functional characterization and association with risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in combination with COX-2 polymorphisms. Pharmacogenet Genomics 17(3):197-205, 2007. PMID: 17460548.
- Sun T, Gao Y, Tan W, Ma S, Zhang X, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Guo Y, Zhao D, Zeng C, Lin D. Haplotypes in matrix metalloproteinase gene cluster on chromosome 11q22 contribute to the risk of lung cancer development and progression. Clin Cancer Res 12(23):7009-17, 2006. PMID: 17145822.
- Sun T, Zhou Y, Li H, Han X, Shi Y, Wang L, Miao X, Tan W, Zhao D, Zhang X, Guo Y, Lin D. FASL -844C polymorphism is associated with increased activation-induced T cell death and risk of cervical cancer. J Exp Med 202(7):967-74, 2005. e-Pub 2005. PMID: 16186185.
Abstracts
- Gregory P. Botta, Carlos Roberto Becerra, Zhaohui Jin, Dae Won Kim, Dan Zhao, Heinz-Josef Lenz, Hong Ma, Audrey Ween, Petra Acha, Zonghai Li, and Harry H. Yoon. Multicenter phase Ib trial in the U.S. of salvage CT041 CLDN18.2-specific chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for patients with advanced gastric and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology 40(16_suppl):2538-2538, 2022.
- Angel Ray Baroz, Isa Mambetsariev, Jeremy Fricke, Rebecca Pharaon, Dan Zhao, Marianna Koczywas, Erminia Massarelli, and Ravi Salgia. Evaluation of immune-related adverse events in patients treated with sequential immunotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment in non-small cell lung cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 38(15):e21562-e21562, 2020.
Book Chapters
- Dickinson E, Zhao D and Reckamp K. Beyond Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase. In: Targeted Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Elsevier, 2019.
- Hill A, Gupta R, Zhao D, Vankina R, Amanam I, Salgia R.. Elsevier. In: Targeted Therapies in Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer. Cancer Treat Res, 2019.
- Zhao D, Pharaon R, Massarelli E. Treatment Strategies in Head and Neck Cancers in Oncology in the Precision Medicine Era: Value-based Medicine. In: Springer, 2019.
Grant & Contract Support
Title: | Spatial Immune Profiling of KRAS Mutated Pancreatic Cancer and Clinical Outcome |
Funding Source: | Institutional Research Grant (IRG) |
Role: | Principal Investigator |
Title: | Understanding the Allele Specific Mechanisms of Response and Resistance to KRAS Inhibitors in Pancreatic Cancer |
Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
Role: | Principal Investigator |
Title: | Targeting CD24 to enhance the efficacy of KRASG12C inhibition in PDAC |
Funding Source: | UTMDACC GI SPORE DRP Program |
Role: | Collaborator |
Title: | Phase I Study of Autologous CD8+ and CD4+ Engineered T Cell Receptor T Cells in Subjects with Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors |
Funding Source: | Affini-T Therapeutics, Inc |
Role: | Principal Investigator-MDACC |