Dr. Zhang had training in human genetics, pharmacogenomics, and computational biology. His research interests include the genetics and epigenetics of complex traits, such as risks for common diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetic complications), drug response, and gene expression. Dr. Zhang is the PI of several major NIH- and industry-sponsored projects with the primary goal of developing novel epigenetics-based biomarkers for human cancers (e.g., colorectal cancer, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, esophageal cancer, glioblastoma, and liver cancer) and chronic diseases using liquid biopsies. His group published the largest clinical study of 5-hydroxymethylation biomarkers for liver cancer using circulating cell-free DNA. Dr. Zhang's research was widely covered by worldwide media, including the BBC, Reuters, and the New York Times. Dr. Zhang is also a frequent reviewer/study section member/chairperson for research programs at the NIH, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and the UK Medical Research Council.