Di Zhao, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology
About Dr. Di Zhao
Dr. Di Zhao earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Fudan University in 2014, with a major research focus on cancer metabolism. Then, Dr. Zhao started her postdoctoral training under Dr. Ronald DePinho at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Cancer Biology. Her highly productive postdoctoral research focused on prostate cancer genetics and biology and made significant contributions, including the identification of CHD1 as a key epigenetic factor in advanced prostate cancer and tumor microenvironment remodeling. During her doctoral and postdoctoral training, Dr. Zhao has published several first-author research articles in high-profile journals, including Cancer Cell (2013), J Clin. Invest. (2014), Nature (2017), and Cancer Discovery (2020).
In 2019, Dr. Zhao started her independent laboratory in the Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson. Her research focuses on prostate cancer genomics and biology, with a special interest in understanding crosstalk between cancer cells and immune components in the tumor microenvironment and metastatic niche. Combining state-of-the-art genetically engineered mouse modeling systems and single-cell multi-omics, her team has successfully characterized several genetic determinants that drive prostate cancer progression, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and resistance to therapies. These studies were recently published in high-profile journals, including Cancer Discovery (2026), Nature Cancer (2025), Nature Communications (2025, 2026), Science Translational Medicine(2023), Cancer Research (2022), and Oncogene (2026a, 2026b).
Dr. Zhao has been awarded a variety of awards and grants as PI, including the K99/R00 Award, CPRIT Recruitment of First-Time Tenure-Track Faculty Award, NIH NCI R01s, Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Award, and DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program Idea Development Award among others. These funding achievements underscore Di's ability to secure substantial extramural support to advance the innovative projects in her laboratory. Di's research has not only made significant scientific contributions but also fostered valuable collaborations within the cancer research community and bridged the basic/translational research to clinical studies. She has served on various grant review committees at the national and international levels, served as an editorial board or reviewer for 10+ scientific journals, and organized and chaired sessions at national and international conferences. Dr. Zhao was selected as a NextGen Star for the AACR Annual Meeting 2025.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor with Tenure, Expertmental Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Hosuton, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2014 | Fudan University, Shanghai, CN, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Ph.D |
| 2009 | Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, CN, Biotechnology, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2016-2019 | Odyssey Fellow, Prostate Cancer Biology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2014-2019 | Postdoctoral Fellowship, Prostate Cancer Biology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2019 - 2024
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Zhouyihan (Aileen) Li's advisory committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Chair, Javier Leo's advisory committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Member, GSBS Scholarship and Fellowship Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - 2026
Chair, Odyssey Program Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - 2023
Member, CPRIT Graduate Scholar Review Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - 2024
Member, Mary E. Fuentes's advisory committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - 2023
Member, Odyssey Program Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2020 - 2023
Member, ROSI Scientific Review Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2020 - 2023
Member, Xiaojie Yang's advisory committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2020 - 2023
Editorial Activities
Editor, Frontiers in Immunology, 2023 - 2023
Editor, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2021 - 2021
Honors & Awards
| 2025 | AACR Annual Meeting 2025 NextGen Star, AACR |
| 2024 | Serican Academy of Urology Rising Star Award, Serican Academy of Urology |
| 2024 | DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program Idea Development Award, DoD |
| 2023 | Faculty Scholar Award, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2023 | Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation |
| 2020 | Prostate Cancer SPORE Career Enhancement Program Award, MDACC |
| 2019 | CPRIT Recruitment of First-Time Tenure-Track Faculty Award, CPRIT |
| 2019 | UT System Rising STARs Award, University of Texas |
| 2018 | NCI Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), NIH |
| 2018 | FY18 Postdoctoral Travel Awards, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2017 | The Lupe C. Garcia Fellowship in Cancer Research, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2017 | Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation |
| 2016 | Odyssey Fellowship, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2014 | Ray Wu Prize, Ray Wu Memorial Foundation |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Chenling Meng, Qianlin Gu, Yin Wang, Haoyan Li, Wei Shi, Xin Liang, Anna DeBruine, Javier Leo, Feiyu Chen, Jie Zhang, Kiersten Maldonado, Vivien Van, Yue Lu, Di Zhao. Dysregulated ASH1L-MUC1-CD133 Axis Promotes Lung Metastasis and Reprograms the Metastatic Niche in SPOP-deficient Prostate Cancer. Oncogene. e-Pub 2026.
- Wei Shi, Ping Xu, Qianlin Gu, Zhen Fan, Xin Liang, Yin Wang, Yuehui Zhao, Chenling Meng, Javier Leo, Justin J. Kim, Hongqi Teng, Jie Zhang, Feiyu Chen, Yang Chen, Nicholas E. Navin, Di Zhao. Dual Functions of B7-H3-MAPK Signaling Orchestrate Tumor Immunosuppression via Regulating the Plasticity of Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells and Fibroblasts. Cancer Discov, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Javier Leo, Feiyu Chen, Wei Shi, Xin Liang, Chenling Meng, Qianlin Gu,, Yaman Albittar, Zhen Fan, Jie Zhang, Boyi Gan, Sangeeta Goswami, Kendra S. Carmon, Daniel E. Frigo, Ana Aparicio, Di Zhao. Enhancing the efficacy of B7-H3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate DS-7300a in TP53-deficient tumors by inducing ferroptosis. Oncogene, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42509416.
- Feiyu Chen, Qidong Li, Qianlin Gu, Javier Leo, Xin Liang, Naayaa Mehta, Estefania Labanca, Peter Shepherd, Iqbal Mahmud, Yin Wang, Francisco R. Saenz, Maya M. Phillips, Wei Shi, Chenling Meng, Jie Zhang, Daniel E. Frigo, Yue Lu, Boyi Gan, Di Zhao. Divergent roles of SPOP and CHD1 in ACSL4 regulation reveal context-dependent vulnerabilities for targeting ferroptosis. Nat Commun, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42380152.
- Teng H, Hang Q, Zheng C, Yan Y, Zhao Y, Deng Y, Nie L, Wu W, Sheldon M, Yu Z, Shi W, Gao J, Meng C, Martinez C, Zhang J, Yao F, Sun Y, Zhao D, Chen J, Gan B, Meng T, Ma L. In vivo CRISPR activation screen identifies a driver and therapeutic vulnerability of bone metastasis. Science Translational Medicine 17(799):eado7225, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40397713.
- Meng C, Lin K, Shi W, Teng H, DeBruine A, Wang Y, Chen F, Leo J, Zhang J, Van V, Maldonado K, Gan B, Ma L, Lu Y, Zhao D. Histone Methyltransferase ASH1L Primes Metastases and Metabolic Reprogramming of Macrophages in the Bone Niche. Nature Communications 16(1), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40394007.
- Chen F, Li H, Wang Y, Tang X, Lin K, Li Q, Meng C, Shi W, Leo J, Liang X, Zhang J, Van V, Mahmud I, Wei B, Lorenzi P, Raso M, Aparicio A, Lu Y, Frigo D, Gan B, Zhao D. CHD1 loss reprograms SREBP2-driven cholesterol synthesis to fuel androgen-responsive growth and castration resistance in SPOP-mutated prostate tumors. Nature Cancer 6(5):854-873, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40360905.
- Shi W, Wang Y, Zhao Y, Kim JJ, Li H, Meng C, Chen F, Zhang J, Mak DH, Van V, Leo J, St Croix B, Aparicio A, Zhao D. Immune Checkpoint B7-H3 is a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Prostate Cancer Harboring PTEN and TP53 Deficiencies. Sci Transl Med 15(695):eadf6724, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37163614.
- Li H, Wang Y, Lin K, Venkadakrishnan VB, Bakht M, Shi W, Meng C, Zhang J, Tremble K, Liang X, Song JH, Feng X, Van V, Deng P, Burks JK, Aparicio A, Keyomarsi K, Chen J, Lu Y, Beltran H, Zhao D. CHD1 promotes sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibitors by suppressing interaction of AURKA with its coactivator TPX2. Cancer Res 82(17):3088-3101, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35771632.
- Wang Y, Abe J, Chau K, Wang Y, Vu H, Velatooru L, Gulraiz F, Imanishi M, Samanthapudi V, Nguyen M, Ko K, Lee L, Thomas T, Olmsted-Davis E, Kotla S, Fujiwara K, Cooke J, Zhao D, Evans S, Le N. MAGI1 inhibits interferon signaling to promote influenza A infection. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 9, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36082118.
- Lee R, Li J, Li J, Wu CJ, Jiang S, Hsu WH, Chakravarti D, Chen P, LaBella KA, Li J, Spring DJ, Zhao D, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Synthetic Essentiality of Tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase 2 in APC-Mutated Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Discov 12(7):1702-1717, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35537038.
- Deng Y, Xia X, Zhao Y, Zhao Z, Martinez C, Yin W, Yao J, Hang Q, Wu W, Zhang J, Yu Y, Xia W, Yao F, Zhao D, Sun Y, Ying H, Hung MC, Ma L. Glucocorticoid receptor regulates PD-L1 and MHC-I in pancreatic cancer cells to promote immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance. Nat Commun 12(1):7041, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34873175.
- Chakravarti D, Hu B, Mao X, Rashid A, Li J, Li J, Liao WT, Whitley EM, Dey P, Hou P, LaBella KA, Chang A, Wang G, Spring DJ, Deng P, Zhao D, Liang X, Lan Z, Lin Y, Sarkar S, Terranova C, Deribe YL, Blutt SE, Okhuysen P, Zhang J, Vilar E, Nielsen OH, Dupont A, Younes M, Patel KR, Shroyer NF, Rai K, Estes MK, Wang YA, Bertuch AA, DePinho RA. Telomere dysfunction activates YAP1 to drive tissue inflammation. Nat Commun 11(1):4766, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32958778.
- Zhao D, Cai L, Lu X, Liang X, Li J, Chen P, Ittmann M, Shang X, Jiang S, Li H, Meng C, Flores I, Song JH, Horner JW, Lan Z, Wu CJ, Li J, Chang Q, Chen KC, Wang G, Deng P, Spring DJ, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Chromatin Regulator, CHD1, Remodels the Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in PTEN-Deficient Prostate Cancer. Cancer Discovery 10(9), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32385075.
- Chen P, Zhao D, Li J, Liang X, Li J, Chang A, Henry VK, Lan Z, Spring DJ, Rao G, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Symbiotic Macrophage-Glioma Cell Interactions Reveal Synthetic Lethality in PTEN-Null Glioma. Cancer Cell 35(6):868-884.e6, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31185211.
- Liao W, Overman MJ, Boutin AT, Shang X, Zhao D, Dey P, Li J, Wang G, Lan Z, Li J, Tang M, Jiang S, Ma X, Chen P, Katkhuda R, Korphaisarn K, Chakravarti D, Chang A, Spring DJ, Chang Q, Zhang J, Maru DM, Maeda DY, Zebala JA, Kopetz S, Wang YA, DePinho RA. KRAS-IRF2 Axis Drives Immune Suppression and Immune Therapy Resistance in Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Cell 35(4):559-572.e7, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30905761.
- Lu X, Pan X, Wu CJ, Zhao D, Feng S, Zang Y, Lee R, Khadka S, Amin SB, Jin EJ, Shang X, Deng P, Luo Y, Morgenlander WR, Weinrich J, Lu X, Jiang S, Chang Q, Navone NM, Troncoso P, DePinho RA, Wang YA. An In Vivo Screen Identifies PYGO2 as a Driver for Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Cancer Res 78(14):3823-3833, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29769196.
- Zhao D, Lu X, Wang G, Lan Z, Liao W, Li J, Liang X, Chen JR, Shah S, Shang X, Tang M, Deng P, Dey P, Chakravarti D, Chen P, Spring DJ, Navone NM, Troncoso P, Zhang J, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Synthetic essentiality of chromatin remodelling factor CHD1 in PTEN-deficient cancer. Nature 542(7642):484-488, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28166537.
- Dey P, Baddour J, Muller F, Wu CC, Wang H, Liao WT, Lan Z, Chen A, Gutschner T, Kang Y, Fleming J, Satani N, Zhao D, Achreja A, Yang L, Lee J, Chang E, Genovese G, Viale A, Ying H, Draetta G, Maitra A, Wang YA, Nagrath D, DePinho RA. Genomic deletion of malic enzyme 2 confers collateral lethality in pancreatic cancer. Nature 542(7639):119-123, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28099419.
- Wang G, Lu X, Dey P, Deng P, Wu CC, Jiang S, Fang Z, Zhao K, Konaparthi R, Hua S, Zhang J, Li-Ning-Tapia EM, Kapoor A, Wu CJ, Patel NB, Guo Z, Ramamoorthy V, Tieu TN, Heffernan T, Zhao D, Shang X, Khadka S, Hou P, Hu B, Jin EJ, Yao W, Pan X, Ding Z, Shi Y, Li L, Chang Q, Troncoso P, Logothetis CJ, McArthur MJ, Chin L, Wang YA, DePinho RA. Targeting YAP-Dependent MDSC Infiltration Impairs Tumor Progression. Cancer Discov 6(1):80-95, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26701088.
- Zhao D, Mo Y, Li MT, Zou SW, Cheng ZL, Sun YP, Xiong Y, Guan KL, Lei QY. NOTCH-induced aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 deacetylation promotes breast cancer stem cells. J Clin Invest 124(12):5453-65, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25384215.
- Lv L, Xu YP, Zhao D, Li FL, Wang W, Sasaki N, Jiang Y, Zhou X, Li TT, Guan KL, Lei QY, Xiong Y. Mitogenic and oncogenic stimulation of K433 acetylation promotes PKM2 protein kinase activity and nuclear localization. Mol Cell 52(3):340-52, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24120661.
- Zhao D, Xiong Y, Lei QY, Guan KL. LDH-A acetylation: implication in cancer. Oncotarget 4(6):802-3, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23868819.
- Zhao D, Zou SW, Liu Y, Zhou X, Mo Y, Wang P, Xu YH, Dong B, Xiong Y, Lei QY, Guan KL. Lysine-5 acetylation negatively regulates lactate dehydrogenase A and is decreased in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell 23(4):464-76, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23523103.
- Lv L, Li D, Zhao D, Lin R, Chu Y, Zhang H, Zha Z, Liu Y, Li Z, Xu Y, Wang G, Huang Y, Xiong Y, Guan KL, Lei QY. Acetylation targets the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase for degradation through chaperone-mediated autophagy and promotes tumor growth. Mol Cell 42(6):719-30, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21700219.
- Liu CY, Zha ZY, Zhou X, Zhang H, Huang W, Zhao D, Li T, Chan SW, Lim CJ, Hong W, Zhao S, Xiong Y, Lei QY, Guan KL. The hippo tumor pathway promotes TAZ degradation by phosphorylating a phosphodegron and recruiting the SCFbeta-TrCP E3 ligase. J Biol Chem 285(48):37159-69, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20858893.
Invited Articles
- Edmond M. Chan, Yash Chhabra, Karen O. Dixon, Adam D. Durbin, Anniina Färkkilä, Anand D. Jeyasekharan, Zuzana Keckesova, John R. Prensner, Elvin Wagenblast, Stephanie Z. Xie, Zhao D. Insights on Future Directions in Cancer Research from the 2025 AACR NextGen Stars. Cancer Discovery 15(4):678-684, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40170536.
Review Articles
- Li H, Gigi L, Zhao D. CHD1, a multifaceted epigenetic remodeler in prostate cancer. Front Oncol 13:1123362, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36776288.
- Chen, F, Zhong, Z, Zhang, C, Lu, Y, Chan, YT, Wang, N, Zhao, D, Feng, Y. Potential Focal Adhesion Kinase Inhibitors in Management of Cancer. International journal of molecular sciences 23(21), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36362132.
- Miyahira AK, Zarif JC, Coombs CC, Flavell RR, Russo JW, Zaidi S, Zhao D, Zhao SG, Pienta KJ, Soule HR. Prostate cancer research in the 21st century; report from the 2021 Coffey-Holden prostate cancer academy meeting. Prostate 82(2):169-181, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 34734426.
- Wang G, Zhao D, Spring DJ, DePinho RA. Genetics and biology of prostate cancer. Genes Dev 32(17-18):1105-1140, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30181359.
- Zhao D, DePinho RA. Synthetic essentiality: Targeting tumor suppressor deficiencies in cancer. Bioessays 39(8), 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28675450.
Editorials
- Mengzhe, G, Shanshan, X, Zhao, D, Shihua, W. Editorial. Frontiers in Endocrinology 13, 2023. PMID: 36866167.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified September 18, 2026