Bo Zhang, PhD

Research interests

Our research focuses on deciphering how cell fate determination is governed by the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) , the short DNA sequences that regulate and initiate gene transcription. CREs can be activated or silenced by various transcription factors and epigenetic mechanisms during embryonic development, influencing tissue-specific gene expression in an orientation- and distance-independent manner. To this end, we develop and employ a suite of bioinformatic and machine learning (ML) approaches to analyze high-throughput sequencing data, aiming to pinpoint and characterize the epigenetic changes linked to CREs activation or repression in both normal development, aging, and human disease. A key aspect of our work is to reveal the evolutionary trajectories and adaption of transposable elements (TEs, also called transposons) in shaping the mammalian genome and rewriting the gene regulatory network. We focus on understanding the biological function of TEs, and their genetic and epigenetic regulation during development and disease progression.

Education and Academic Positions

Associate Professor, 2022, Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine

Assistant Professor, 2015, Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine

Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011, Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Genetics. Postdoctoral Adviser: Dr. Ting Wang

Ph.D. in bioinformatics, 2010, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Runsheng Chen

B.S. in Biotechnology, 2004, Inner Mongolia University

Selected publications

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=b7iD754AAAAJ&hl=en

PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1leot85uUoNkN/bibliography/public/