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Curriculum Vitae
Name: Ali Zhang
MD, PhD
Address: 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL(60610)
Telephone: (312)503-3441 (lab)
Mobile: (217)416 -2488
Email: [email protected]
Nationality: Citizen of the People’s Republic of China
Date of birth: November 15,1975
Sex: Female
Expertise
Molecular and Cellular biology, tumor metastasis, long non-coding RNA, microRNA
Education
09/1998-07/2004
PhD in Gynecologic Oncology,
Tongji Medical College,
Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)
09/1993-07/1998
MD in Clinical Medicine,
Tongji Medical university (China)
Professional Training
6/2012 - present
Postdoctoral Fellow in the department of medicine of
Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
11/2010-5/2012
Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of MMICB in the
Southern Illinois University(SIU), Springfield, IL
01/2009-11/2010
Associate professor in the department of tumor radio-chemo
therapy, Zhongnan hospital, Wuhan University(China)
07/2004-01/2009
Assistant professor and doctor in charge in the department of
tumor radio-chemo therapy, Zhongnan hospital, Wuhan
University(China)
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Professional
Affiliations
American Association of Cancer Research(AACR)
Honors and Awards
1. the second prize of Natural Science Award in hubei province（2002）
2. the first prize in China’s State Natual Science Award nominated by ministry of
enducation（2002）
3. First ten graduate student in Huazhong University of Science and Technology
（2001）
Work Experiences
A. listed projects are designed and performed as the first investigator
1. project( 11/2010-5/2012): Investigated the effect of long non-coding RNA ROR
on P53 expression and phenotype in cancer cells, tried to find the possible signal
pathway.

Detect ROR RNA expression in normal and malignant tissues using in situ
hybridization and real time PCR; evaluate the effects of ROR on P53 expression
using western blot and analyze phenotype of cancer cells using MTT, cell cycle,
apoptosis assay, nude mice tumor model; elucidating the important exon region of
ROR for this function is within exon4 by constructing different mutants of ROR.
Using Luciferase assay and different deleted mutants of ROR promoter,
demonstrated that P53 can influence ROR promoter activity; using RNA pull
down ,silver stain and mass spectrometry, RNA immunocipitaition and Chip
assay, found ROR exon4 can pull down PTB , ROR can modulate translation of
p53 through PTB. there existed signal feedloop between ROR, PTB and P53,
which provide additional survival network for cells under stressed conditions.
2. Project( 2008-2010): Evaluated the role of ETA- ETAR axis on ovarian tumor
metastasis and whether Snail siRNA nanoparticle delivered by ETAR binding
2
peptide can inhibit ovarian tumor metastasis

Observe the invasive potential of ETAR(+) ovarian tumor cells after treated with
ET-1; made the Snail siRNA nanoparticle delivered by ETAR binding peptide;
verified the specific combination of ETAR binding peptide with ovarian tumor
cells; studied metastasis potential in vitro and in vivo after treated with the Snail
siRNA nanoparticle complex.
B. listed projects are designed and performed as the co-investigator
1. project( 11/2010- present): Detected microRNAs which can play roles in the
serum starvation of cancer cells

Infected tumor cells with lentivirus vetor which carrying microRNAs library ,
selected the positive tumor cells by cell sorting , and then exposed the cells in
medium without serum, picked up the clones alive, extracted DNA, sequenced to
obtain the specific microRNAs, transduced these specific microRNAs alone or
together into cells to verify the variability in the condition of serum starvation.
Ph.D Training
1. project(9/2001-7/2004): Studied the inhibitory effect of antisense-Snail on breast
tumor metastasis
 Examined the expression of Snail in different cancer cell lines using Northern blot
and Confocal microscope, transfected adenovirus-antisense-Snail to cancer cells
to detect the expression of epithelial genes and mesenchymal genes, observe cell
mophology, and the invasive ability using wound healing assay and nude mice
model. Experimental work including: primer designation, PCR, Northern blot,
Western blot, adenovirus construction, Boyden chamber assay, animal model.
2. project(9/1998-7/2001): Evaluated the invasive ability after overexpressed
VEGF in epithelial ovarian tumor cell.
 Transfected VEGF165 cDNA plasmid into ovarian tumor cells to detect the
MMP-2 expression and activity , observe the invasive potential using Boyden
3
chamber assay. Experimental work including: PCR, western blot, transient
transfection, Boyden chamber assay, Gelatin zymography.
Experimental skills

Molecule Biology:
DNA recombination, plasmid construction, stable/transient transfection, DNA and
RNA isolation, real-time PCR, reverse transcription-PCR, protein purification,
Chip assay, Luciferase reporter assay

Cell Biology and immunology:
Cell lines culture, cell proliferation , cell cycle and cell apoptosis assays, protein
immunopricipitation, RNA immunopricipitation, RNA pull down, western blot, in
situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemitry

Animal Handling:
Animal biological safety level (ABSL3)training, establishment the tumor
metastasis in nude mice by intravenous injections by tail vein, subcutaneous and
intraperitoneal injection.

Computer-related techniques:
Skilled in Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop , sigma plot and statistical
analysis programs
Publications
1. .Zhang AL, Huang JG, Zhou NJ, Singh R, Bajracharya R,Mo YY.
The human
long non-coding RNA-RoR is a p53 repressor in response to DNA damage.
Cell Research
2013Mar;23(3):340-50
2. Zhang AL, Wang Q, Han Z, Hu W, Xi L, Gao Q, Wang S, Zhou J, Xu G, Meng L,
Chen G, Ma D. Reduced expression of Snail decreases breast cancer cell motility
by downregulating the expression and inhibiting the activity of RhoA GTPase
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Oncol Lett. 2013 Aug;6(2):339-346.
3. Liu Q, Huang J, Zhou N, Zhang Z, Zhang A, Lu Z, Wu F, Mo YY.
LncRNA loc285194 is a p53-regulated tumor suppressor. Nuclear acid research
2013 May;41(9):4976-87
3. Peng J, Zhang G, Wang QS, Huang JG，Ma H, Zhong YH, Zhou
FX, Xie CH ,
Zhang AL(corresponding author). ROCK cooperated with ET-1 to induce
epithelial to mesenchymal transition through SLUG in human ovarian cancer cells.
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2012, 76(1):42-47
4．Ma H, Zhong G, Ming XH, Zhong YH, Gao M, Dai J, Zhang AL(corresponding
author). Effects of NBS1 Silencing by RNAi on the Radiosensitivity of Human
Laryngal Squamous Carcinoma Cell Line and Non Small Lung Cancer Cell Line.
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2011,20(1):73-74
5. Zhang AL, Chen G, Meng L, Wang QS, Wei H, Xi L, Gao QL, Wang SX, Zhou JF,
XuG, Ma D. Antisense-Snail Transfer Inhibits Tumor Metastasis by Inducing
E-cadherin Expression. Anticancer Res 2008,28(2A):621-628
6. Zhang AL, Meng L, Wang QS, Xi L, Chen G, Wang SX, Zhou JF, Lu YP,Ma D.
Enhanced in vitro invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells through up-regulation of
VEGF and induction of MMP-2. Oncol Rep 2006 Apr, 15(4) ：831-836
7. Zhang AL, Wang QS, ZhongYH,Chen G, Xi L,Xie CH, Zhou YF, Ma D.
Expression of Snail and tumor invasiveness in breast carcinoma. Chinese Journal
of General Practitioners, 2009, 8(4):264-266
8. Zhang AL ,Wang QS , Zhong YH, Chen G, Xi Ling , Xie CH , Zhou YF ,Ma D.
Transforming growth factors-β1 cooperating with transcriptional factor Snail
promotes breast tumor metastasis.
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2007 ,23
(10) : 1317-1321
9．Zhang AL ,Wang QS , Zhong YH , Xie CH , Zhou YF ,Ma D. Expressions of
Snail and E-cadherin in epithelial carcinomas and their clinical significance.
Tumor (Chinese journal) 2006,5: 469-471
10. Zhang AL, Wang QS , Zhong YH , Xie CH , Zhou YF ,Ma D. Inverse correlation
between Snail and E-cadherin expression in carcinoma cell lines and invasive
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ability in vitro. Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi 2006, (1): 17-20
11. Zhang AL, Wang QS , Zhong YH , Xie CH , Zhou YF ,Ma D. Effect of
Transcriptional Factor Snail on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Tumor
Metastasis. Ai Zheng 2005, 24(11): 1301-1305
12. Zhang AL,Wang QS, Lu YP, Ma D. The role of vascular endothelial growth
factor on ovarian cancer invasion. Current Advances In Obstetrics and
Gynecology 2002, (01)：15-18
13. Zhang AL，Wang QS，Han ZQ，WuSF, Chen G, Li J, Liao GN, Lu YP, Ma D.
Relationship between the expression of connexin43 and bystander effect of
suicide gene therapy in ovarian cancer. Journal of Huazhong University of Science
and Technology [Med Sci]2004, 24（05）：476-479
14. Zhang AL, Wang SX, Lu YP, Li J, Wang CY, Ma D. Correlation of expression of
vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix matalloproteinase-2 to invasion of
ovarian tumor cells in vitro. Ai Zheng 2002 Mar,21(3):263-266
15. Han ZQ, Zhang AL, Wu MF, Liu YL, Chen G, Li FJ, Gao QL, Liao GN, Lu YP,
Wang SX, Ma D. Correlation of expression of RhoA (RhoC and their effector
ROCK-1 with malignant phenotype of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Zhonghua
Zhong Liu Za Zhi 2004, 26(7):385-388
16. Lu Y, Zhang AL, Wang S, Li J, Wang C, Ma D. Role of vascular endothelial
growth factor overexpression in ovarian tumor invasion and mechanism.
Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi 2002,37(5):294-297
17. Zhang AL, Lu YP, Wang SX, Ma D.Relationship between the expression of
connexin 43 and bystander effect of suicide gene therapy in ovarian Cancer. Chin
J Obstet Gynecol 2001, 36( 9):542-546.
Journal Reviewer
1. International Journal of Cancer (since 2010)
2.Current Cancer Drug Targets (since 2010)
6
Grant/ Project in China
1. National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC30801232)
Sponsor: NSFC 01/01/2009-12/31/2011
Title“the effect and mechanism of Snail siRNA nanoparticle delievered by ETAR
binding peptide in ovarian tumor metastasis”
Role :PI
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