Zhidong Xu, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Zhidong Xu  is a molecular biologist and senior scientist in the  Thoracic Oncology Laboratory. Dr. Xu graduated Shanghai Fisheries University in  China in  1982 with an undergraduate degree in  marine aquaculture and received a masters  in biology/cytogenetics in 1986 from Western Illinois University. In 1992, he received a  Ph.D. in  Molecular Mutagenesis  from  the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Xu then became a post-doctoral Fellow  at the  Human Genome Mapping Center at UCSF, and later in the  Cardiovascular Research Institute. In 1998,  Dr.  Xu  was  recruited  to the  Thoracic Oncology Laboratory by  Dr. David Jablons.

In 2001, he joined the faculty at the UCSF School of Medicine as an Adjunct Assistant  Professor in the  Department  of Surgery.    Dr. Xu has played an important role in the expansion of the lab. Between 1999-‘2001.    Dr. Xu's research on  full-length cDNA cloning technology was supported by an NIH R21 grant. He is  also co-PI on an  NIH R01 grant, The Wnt Pathway in Malignant Mesothelioma,  research that  will elucidate the molecular mechanisms of malignant mesothelioma.Dr. Xu's research  is focused on the molecular biology of non-small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma, including  the  development of  novel targeted therapeutics based on recombinant DNA technology. A summary of his overall research includes:

• Using microarray technology for the identification of novel genes and therapeutic targets.
• Methylation in lung carcinogenesis and as a marker in the detecting early lung cancers.
• Elucidation of novel molecular mechanisms in the Wnt Signaling Pathway.  
• Oncolytic viral gene therapy.
• Development of anti-Wnt ligand monoclonal antibodies for lung cancer therapeutics
• Development of recombinant human proteins targeting Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF-1).
• Differential gene expression profiling.

Dr. Xu has also played a critical role in forging international ties  with the  medical establishment in China, the goal to improve treatment lung cancer patients worldwide.  Dr. Xu also helped  draft  the  "Beijing Declaration on Lung Cancer, A Campaign for Treatment, Research and Prevention",  at  the 2nd North South Lung Cancer Summit in Beijing, China.  He has also authored numerous peer-reviewed papers in his fields of research.