Jianping Zhao, M.D., PhD.
Department of Anatomical Pathology, Division of Pathology-Lab Medicine Div
About Dr. Jianping Zhao
I am a surgical pathologist with strong expertise in diagnosing neoplastic diseases of genitourinary tract, including prostate, urinary bladder, kidney, testicular, and penile cancers. I was trained by the world-renowned genitourinary pathologist, Dr. Jonathan Epstein, at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. In addition, I had PhD training at the University of Pittsburgh and post-doctoral training at the Washington University in St. Louis so that I have a solid background of basic biomedical research particularly on molecular and cell biology, immunology, and tumor biology. My current research interests include discovering new diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic biomarkers, and studying the molecular pathogenesis of genitourinary neoplasms. Besides providing the best diagnostic services to the patients, I am looking forward to collaborating with clinical and basic researchers to perform cutting-edge clinical research.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Assistant Professor, Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2009 | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, US, Ph.D |
| 1998 | Shanxi Medical University, CN, MD |
Postgraduate Training
| 2021-2022 | Clinical Fellowship, Genitourinary Pathology, John Hopkins Hospital, Maryland |
| 2020-2021 | Clinical Fellowship, General Surgical Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas |
| 2016-2020 | Clinical Residency, Anatomic & Clinical Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Texas |
| 2010-2014 | Postdoctoral Research Associate, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2022 | Texas Medical Board |
| 2022 | Medical License |
| 2020 | American Board of Pathology |
| 2020 | Medical License |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Faculty senate of pathology department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2023 - 2024
Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) for the ACGME-accredited Surgical Pathology Fellowship Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2023 - Present
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Planning Committee Member, Institutional Committee Russell conference committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023
Honors & Awards
| 2024 | Institutional Research Grant (IRG), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2020 | Resident Teaching Award, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch |
| 2019 | International Society of Urologic Pathology Stipend Award, International Society of Urologic Pathology (ISUP) |
| 2018 | Annual meeting, First Place Award for Poster, Texas Society of Pathologists (TSP) |
| 2018 | Advanced Training Grant in Translational Diagnostics, College of American Pathologists (CAP) |
| 2018 | Invited Oral Presentation in Pathology Annual Retreat, University of Pittsburgh |
| 2010 | Invited Oral Presentation in “ASIP Highlights: Graduate Student Research in Pathology”, Experimental Biology Meeting |
| 2010 | Experimental Pathologist-in-Graduate Training Award, American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. Challenging cases of genitourinary pathology. Invited. University of Texas Medical Branch. Houston, Texas, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2023. Diagnostic Pitfalls in Urothelial Tumors. Diagnostic pathology updates conference, US.
- 2018. Hepatic inflammatory pseudotumors. Conference. Texas Society of Pathologists (TSP) Annual meeting;. Houston, TX, US.
National Presentations
- 2024. Diagnostic challenges in urothelial tumors. Invited. Chinese American Pathologists Association (CAPA) Diagnostic Pathology Course, US.
- 2010. Migfilin contributes to cell-matrix adhesion-mediated survival signaling through direct interaction with Src. Conference. American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.
- 2010. Migfilin contributes to cell-matrix adhesion-mediated survival signaling through direct interaction with Src. Invited. American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.
International Presentations
- 2026. FOXA1 is a Highly Sensitive Diagnostic Marker for Prostate Cancer Including Small Cell Carcinoma of Prostate. Poster. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
- 2026. Clinicopathologic and Molecular Study of 15 Cases of Urothelial Carcinoma with Gene Fusions. Poster. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
- 2025. B72.3 Serves as a New Diagnostic Marker for Testicular Leydig Cell Tumor. Poster. 37th European Congress of Pathology (Austria), US.
- 2025. B72.3 Serves as a New Diagnostic Marker for Testicular Leydig Cell Tumor. Poster. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
- 2025. Primary Renal Sarcomas in Adult Patients: A Clinicopathologic Study of 62 Cases. Poster. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
- 2024. Differential Expression of SOX17 in Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma of the Genitourinary and Gynecologic Tracts. Conference. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
- 2023. Diagnostic Discordance of Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma between Biopsy and Nephroureterectomy Specimens A Tertiary Cancer Center Experience. Poster. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
- 2022. Significance of Extraprostatic Extension (EPE) on Needle Core Biopsy of Grade Groups 1-3 Prostatic Adenocarcinoma. Poster. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
- 2019. Molecular Study of Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma with Chromosomal Microarray and ERBB2 (HER2) FISH Assays. Poster. The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), US.
Formal Peers
- 2023. Diagnostic pathology updates conference. Houston, Texas, US.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2024 - 2026 |
| Title: | Clinical Study of the Forkhead Box A1 (FOXA1) as a Novel Biomarker for Prostate Cancer |
| Funding Source: | Institutional Research Grant program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | PI |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Zhao J, Yao J, Hosseini H, Baraban E, Lin R, Guo C, Huo L, Lu W, Khan K, Wang S, Solis Soto L, Ding Q. FOXA1 is a highly sensitive diagnostic marker for prostate cancer including small cell carcinoma of the prostate. Histopathology, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42098986.
- Zhao, J, Mi, W, Nair, V, Lawson, BC, Guo, CC, Jacobi, EM, Ding, Q. B72.3 serves as a new diagnostic marker for testicular Leydig cell tumor. Human Pathology 168, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 41443279.
- Ruiz-Cordero, R, Wang, Q, Kumar, G, Akgul, M, Creighton, CJ, Rao, P, Tamboli, P, Zheng, L, Zhao, J, Murugan, P, Shen, SS, Brimo, F, Ezhilarasan, R, Sulman, EP, Wani, K, Lazar, A, Kim, T, Chen, K, Bhat, KP, Kannan, KS, Wang, J, Karam, JA, Sircar, K. Genomic and Epigenomic Signatures Can Distinguish Aggressive Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma from Indolent Renal Oncocytic Tumors in Clinical-grade Samples. European Urology Oncology 8(6):1629-1638, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41193273.
- Mi, W, Zang, C, Zhao, J, Kamat, A, Wei, P, Hansel, DE, Czerniak, BA, Guo, CC. Mixed-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma with a minor high-grade component shows a significantly worse clinical outcome than low-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma. Human Pathology 163, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40780614.
- Shen, Y, Zheng, L, Zhao, J, Wang, Y, Chen, H, Roy Chowdhuri, S, Kamat, A, Alhalabi, O, Gao, J, Siefker-Radtke, AO, Wei, P, Hansel, DE, Czerniak, BA, Guo, CC. Molecular profile of micropapillary urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Human Pathology 159, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40403852.
- Zheng, L, Tabet, GC, Guo, CC, Rizvi, YQ, Raso, G, Liu, J, Ding, Q, Baraban, EG, Zhao, J. Clinicopathological study of 34 cases of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urinary tract and diagnostic value of SOX 17 in its differential diagnosis. Human Pathology 157, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40189026.
- Moussa, MJ, Tabet, GC, Siefker-Radtke, AO, Xiao, L, Wilson, NR, Gao, J, Logothetis, CJ, Grivas, PD, Lee, B, Shah, AY, Msaouel, P, Li, R, Clemente, LC, Zhao, J, Tannir, NM, Kamat, A, Hansel, DE, Guo, CC, Campbell, M, Alhalabi, O. Histopathologic Progression and Metastatic Relapse Outcomes in Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Urinary Tract. Cancer medicine 14(2), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39831734.
- Zhao, J, Shen, Y, Guo, M, Matin, S, Hansel, DE, Guo, CC. Diagnostic accuracy of upper tract urothelial carcinoma using biopsy, urinary cytology, and nephroureterectomy specimens a tertiary cancer center experience. American journal of clinical pathology 162(5):492-499, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38860463.
- Myers, AA, Fang, A, Moussa, MJ, Hwang, H, Wilson, NR, Campbell, M, Msaouel, P, Lee, B, Guo, CC, Zhang, M, Zhao, J, Siefker-Radtke, AO, Kamat, A, Alhalabi, O. Impact of systemic therapy on clinical T1 small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the bladder. ESMO Open 9(11), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39471563.
- Zheng L, Chen H, Zhao J, Roy-Chowdhuri S, Kamat AM, Alhalabi O, Gao J, Siefker-Radtke A, Hansel DE, Czerniak B, Guo CC. Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder-A clinicopathological and molecular analysis of 52 cases. Hum Pathol 148:1-6, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38679207.
- Zhao J, Guo CC, Rao P. Contemporary Issues in Urothelial Carcinoma of Upper Urinary Tract. Adv Anat Pathol 31(2):80-87, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38009077.
- Shehabeldin A, Rohra P, Sellen LD, Zhao J, Alqaidy D, Aramin H, Hameed N, Perez YE, Lai Z, Tong YT, Milton DR, Edgerton ME, Fuller G, Hansel D, Prieto VG, Ballester LY, Aung PP. Utility of Whole Slide Imaging for Intraoperative Consultation: Experience of a Large Academic Center. Arch Pathol Lab Med, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37756559.
- Baraban E, Erak E, Fatima A, Akbari A, Zhao J, Fletcher SA, Bhanji Y, de la Calle CM, Mamawala M, Landis P, Macura KJ, Pavlovich CP, Epstein JI. Identifying Men Who Can Remain on Active Surveillance Despite Biopsy Reclassification to Grade Group 2 Prostate Cancer. J Urol 210(1):99-107, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37042826.
- Zhao J, Epstein J. Significance of extraprostatic extension by Grade Groups 1-3 prostatic carcinoma on needle biopsy. Prostate 83(8):809-813, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36946608.
- Velez Torres JM, Zhao J, Epstein JI, Kryvenko ON. Condyloma acuminatum of the urinary tract demonstrates atypical squamous cells in urine cytology. Hum Pathol 130:110-116, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36244465.
- Guccione J, Soliman M, Zhang M, Habra MA, Collins K, Zhao J, Elsayes KM. Imaging characteristics of pathologically proven adrenal adenomas with myelolipomatous degeneration: correlation with clinical and pathologic features. Br J Radiol 95(1129):20210555, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 34623887.
- Yu A, Luikart S, Huang G, Han S, Zhao J, Soong L, Dong J. ERBB2 FISH and Chromosome Microarray Testing of Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinomas at a Single Institution. Cancer Med J 3(Suppl 1):39-46, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33426545.
- Zhao J, Eyzaguirre E. Clear Cell Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 143(9):1154-1158, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30672334.
- Zhao J, Olino K, Low LE, Qiu S, Stevenson HL. Hepatic Inflammatory Pseudotumor: An Important Differential Diagnosis in Patients With a History of Previous Biliary Procedures. ACG Case Rep J 6(1):e00015, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31598534.
- Li RT, Zahedi S, Trieu J, Lea AS, Calhoun WJ, Duarte AG, Zhao J, Okereke IC. Post-transplant native pneumonectomy for interstitial fibrosis and small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Dis 9(12):E1096-E1099, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29312773.
- Zhao J, Bruck S, Cemerski S, Zhang L, Butler B, Dani A, Cooper JA, Shaw AS. CD2AP links cortactin and capping protein at the cell periphery to facilitate formation of lamellipodia. Mol Cell Biol 33(1):38-47, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23090967.
- Hu J, Yu H, Kornev AP, Zhao J, Filbert EL, Taylor SS, Shaw AS. Mutation that blocks ATP binding creates a pseudokinase stabilizing the scaffolding function of kinase suppressor of Ras, CRAF and BRAF. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108(15):6067-72, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21441104.
- Zhao J, Zhang Y, Ithychanda SS, Tu Y, Chen K, Qin J, Wu C. Migfilin interacts with Src and contributes to cell-matrix adhesion-mediated survival signaling. J Biol Chem 284(49):34308-20, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19833732.
- Zhang Y, Tu Y, Zhao J, Chen K, Wu C. Reversion-induced LIM interaction with Src reveals a novel Src inactivation cycle. J Cell Biol 184(6):785-92, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19307596.
- Li C, Capan E, Zhao Y, Zhao J, Stolz D, Watkins SC, Jin S, Lu B. Autophagy is induced in CD4+ T cells and important for the growth factor-withdrawal cell death. J Immunol 177(8):5163-8, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 17015701.
- Wan Y, Wu Y, Zhou J, Zou L, Liang Y, Zhao J, Jia Z, Engberg J, Bian J, Zhou W. Cross-presentation of phage particle antigen in MHC class II and endoplasmic reticulum marker-positive compartments. Eur J Immunol 35(7):2041-50, 2005. e-Pub 2005. PMID: 15940671.
- Ni B, Gao W, Zhu B, Lin Z, Jia Z, Zhou W, Zhao J, Wang L, Wu Y. Induction of specific human primary immune responses to a Semliki Forest virus-based tumor vaccine in a Trimera mouse model. Cancer Immunol Immunother 54(5):489-98, 2005. e-Pub 2005. PMID: 15750833.
- Ni B, Lin Z, Zhou L, Wang L, Jia Z, Zhou W, Diciommo DP, Zhao J, Bremner R, Wu Y. Induction of P815 tumor immunity by DNA-based recombinant Semliki Forest virus or replicon DNA expressing the P1A gene. Cancer Detect Prev 28(6):418-25, 2004. e-Pub 2004. PMID: 15582265.
- Wu Y, Zhao J, Wan Y, Jia Z, Zhou W, Bian J, Ni B, Zou L, Tang Y. Mimovirus: a novel form of vaccine that induces hepatitis B virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses in vivo. J Virol 76(20):10264-9, 2003. e-Pub 2003. PMID: 12239302.
- Liu H, Wu Y, Zhao J, Ni B, Jia Z, Zhou W, Zou L. Effective elicitation of anti-tumor immunity by collocation of antigen with encoding gene in the same vaccine. Immunol Lett 89(2-3):167-73, 2003. e-Pub 2003. PMID: 14556975.
- Wu Y, Wan Y, Bian J, Zhao J, Jia Z, Zhou L, Zhou W, Tan Y. Phage display particles expressing tumor-specific antigens induce preventive and therapeutic anti-tumor immunity in murine p815 model. Int J Cancer 98(5):748-53, 2002. e-Pub 2002. PMID: 11920646.
Other Articles
- Zhao J Advances in the tumor immunology based on the mouse P815 mastocytoma tumor model. Immunological Journal 17(3s):63-67, 2001.
- Zhao J The adjuvant effects of CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide on immunization with tumor-specific peptide P815AB. Acta Academiae Medicinae Militaris Tertiae 22(10):954-957, 2000.
- Zhao J The methodological development of identifying human tumor antigen. Foreign Medical Sciences: Cancer Section 27(4):221-225, 2000.
- Zhao J, Wu Y The progress of methods to predicate CTL epitopes. Acta Academiae Medicinae Militaris Tertiae 22(10):9988-9992, 2000.
Abstracts
- Mi W, Kostyuk A, Lawson B, Guo C, Ding Q, Zhao J. B72.3 Serves as a New Diagnostic Marker for Testicular Leydig Cell Tumor. USCAP 114th Annual Meeting.
- Kostyuk A, Mi W, Wang W, Guo C, Zhao J. Primary Renal Sarcomas in Adult Patients: A Clinicopathologic Study of 62 Cases. USCAP 114th Annual Meeting.
- Mi W, Guo C, Zhao J, Wei P, Hansel D, Czerniak B, Zang C. Noninvasive Papillary Urothelial Carcinoma with a Minor High-Grade Component: A Clinicopathologic Study of 52 cases. USCAP 114th Annual Meeting.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026