Chongzhi Zang Lab
Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Chongzhi Zang, PhD
Office: West Complex, Room 6131C
Phone: 434-243-5397
Email: zang@virginia.edu
Website: czang.github.io
School of Medicine faculty profile
School of Engineering faculty profile
Curriculum Vitae 
Dr. Chongzhi Zang is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine. He holds faculty appointments in the Departments of Public Health Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, and Biomedical Engineering at UVA. He is also a faculty member of the UVA Cancer Center and the UVA Data Science Institute. Chongzhi received his BS in physics from Peking University and PhD in physics from the George Washington University. He did his undergraduate research in high-field laser physics with Jie Zhang at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his PhD research in computational biophysics with Weiqun Peng and Keji Zhao at the National Institutes of Health. Prior to joining UVA, he completed his postdoctoral training with Xiaole Shirley Liu at Harvard University's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Chongzhi is a computational biologist with expertise in cancer epigenomics. His research focuses on algorithm development for high-throughput genomic data analytics and integrative modeling of gene regulatory networks in mammalian cell systems.
Postdoctoral Associates
Zhenjia Wang, PhD
Office: West Complex, Suite 6131
Phone: 434-297-5236
Email: zhenjia@virginia.edu
Zhenjia joined the lab as a postdoctoral research associate in January 2017. She received her PhD in bioinformatics from School of Mathematics, Shandong University in China. She is working on integration of publicly available transcription factor ChIP-seq data for studying functional gene regulation, and integration of RNA-seq data with ChIP-seq data for studying mechanisms of fusion transcripts in cancer.
Sheng'en Shawn Hu, PhD
Office: West Complex, Suite 6131
Phone: 434-243-0215
Email: sh8tv@virginia.edu
Dr. Sheng'en Shawn Hu is a postdoctoral research associate starting November 2017. Before joining UVA, he completed his PhD training in bioinformatics from School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University in China, and was a visiting student at Harvard University. He is working on developing computatinoal methodology of integrating high-throughput chromatin accessibility data for studying functional gene regulation.
Christopher Dampier, MD
Email: chd5n@virginia.edu
Chris is a General Surgery resident and a Research Fellow in the Department of Surgery and the Center for Public Health Genomics at the University of Virginia. He received his BA in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University and his MD from the University of Michigan. He was first exposed to informatics as a science while working as a commodities analyst at Louis Dreyfus Commodities, and he began analyzing high-dimensional bioinformatics data in the fMRI lab of Dr Jon-Kar Zubieta at the University of Michigan. He moved to Charlottesville for his residency in General Surgery and completed two years of clinical training prior to joining Dr Craig Slingluff's Surgical Oncology Training Grant under the mentorship of Dr Graham Casey in 2018. After two years of research, he will return to clinical training to complete his residency. Chris is a physician with growing expertise in bioinformatics and an interest in cancer genomics. His research focuses on molecular phenotyping and functional follow-up of GWAS-identified risk loci using high-throughput sequencing data in the setting of colorectal cancer.
Qingying Chen, PhD
Email: jkx9nz@virginia.edu
Qingying Chen joined the lab as a postdoctoral research associate in January 2021. She received her PhD in physics from the University of Tulsa and her B.S. in Applied Physics from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. Her research focused on designing, simulating, and testing the interference filters for the phonic sensing, and developing coating techniques to functionalize the integrated sensing elements. She is interested in computational biology and excited to gain experience in bioinformatics research.
Email: william.f.lamberti@virginia.edu
William Franz Lamberti received his B.A. in Mathematical Statistics from The College of New Jersey in 2015 and his M.S. in Statistical Science from George Mason University in 2017. Before joining UVA, he received his PhD in Computational Sciences and Informatics with a specialization in Data Science from George Mason University where he was a Presidential Scholar. His current research interests include image processing applications, shape analysis, and statistical and machine learning classification problems. He is planning on incorporating skills in explainable machine learning and imaging to spatial genomics problems.
Yidan Cong, PhD
Email: npa4cn@virginia.edu
Yidan Cong joined the lab as a postdoctoral research associate in June 2021. She received her PhD in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, M.S. in data science from Northwestern University, and B.S. in chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University. Her PhD research focused on synthesizing and characterizing supersoft materials that mimic biological tissues’ mechanical and optical properties, as well as developing computational tools to quantitatively correlate materials’ structure and properties. She is excited about utilizing machine learning algorithms to tackle challenging genomics research problems.
Graduate Students
Mengxue Tian
Office: West Complex, Suite 6131
Email: mt9tz@virginia.edu
Mengxue Tian is a research specialist in the lab and will start her PhD studies in the Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) program in 2021. Before joining UVA, she received her B.E. and M.S. in Bioinformatics from School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University in China. She is working on high-throughput sequencing data analysis over different disease and development systems.
Hongpan Zhang
Office: West Complex, Room 6131
Email: hz9fq@virginia.edu
Hongpan Zhang is a research specialist in the lab and will be a PhD student in the Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) program starting 2021. He obtained two bachelor's degrees in life sciences and software engineering from Sichuan University. Hongpan is keen to study the connection between genomic phenomena and diseases. He hopes to raise his knowledge of biological issues in his research work. Hongpan is a basketball fan and also loves other sports events. He's interested in historical knowledge as well.
Research Volunteer
Ruoyao Shi
Email: rs8cp@virginia.edu
Ruoyao Shi is a graduate student in biostatistics at the University of Michigan. She received her B.S. in biology from Tang Aoqing Honors Program in Biological Science, Jilin University, China. She joined the lab as a visiting undergraduate student in 2019, and continued doing research with the lab during graduate studies. She is enthusiastic about biostatistics and biological big data analysis, and is also interested in volunteer service, music and art in her spare time.
Undergraduate Students
Class of 2021
Megan Grieco
Email: mg3fh@virginia.edu
Megan Grieco is a Systems Engineering major in the class of 2021, pursuing the Chemical and Biomedical application sequence. She is excited about gaining experience in data science and research within the biological field. After graduation, she is planning on going to medical school. In her free time, she likes to travel, cheer on the Hoos, and rewatch the Office.
Zack Thomas
Email: zvt3fn@virginia.edu
Zachary Thomas is an undergraduate student (Class of 2021) from Oakton, VA majoring in Biomedical Engineering and minoring in Computer Science. He is particularly interested in data science and its applications to further explore Biomedical Data. In his free time, he plays clarinet and bass clarinet with the UVA Wind Ensemble and Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra.
Alex Hickman
Email: azh5kn@virginia.edu
Alex Hickman is a Biomedical Engineering major (Class of 2021) interested in cell and molecular biology and biomedical data science. She is looking forward to pursuing research related to computational biology and applying what she has learned from her previous research in head and neck cancer. After graduating, she hopes to attend a graduate program in computer science in order to prepare her for the world of data science! In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, biking, playing the ukulele, volunteering, and painting with Bob Ross.
Xinyue Qiu
Email: xq8zu@virginia.edu
Xinyue is an undergraduate student (Class of 2021), double majoring in Biology and Statistics. Interested in both genetics and statistical analysis, she is interested in both obtaining knowledge and rich hands-on experience related. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, traveling, drawing, and playing games.
Drew Vanichkachorn
Email: acv3by@virginia.edu
Drew Vanichkachorn is an undergraduate student (Class of 2021) in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is majoring in Global Public Health and is hopefully pursuing a BA in environmental science. Drew is excited to be learning about genomics and believes this field to be important in the future of medicine. He is also interested in music and enjoys playing the piano and viola when he can.
Shahbaz Nizam
Email: sn7mq@virginia.edu
Shahbaz Nizam is a Statistics and Economics major in the class of 2021. He is interested in learning about data science and its application with finance and marketing. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, cooking foreign cuisines, and watching movies.
Class of 2022
Benjamin Ke
Email: bgk5ck@virginia.edu
Ben Ke is an undergraduate student (Class of 2022) and intends on majoring in Statistics with a concentration in Biology. He looks forward to learning how to apply statistical, coding, and other skills from the classroom in actual research. He currently volunteers at the UVA Hospital through Madison House and enjoys playing tennis and chess in his free time. After graduation, he hopes to study in a medically-related field.
Emilie Neulen
Email: ean4tp@virginia.edu
Emilie Neulen is a Biology major with a possible minor in German on the pre-med track (Class of 2022). She is extremely excited to learn more about using programming in Biology and hope to apply some of the skills she will be learning to future research. After graduating, she is planning on attending medical school. In her free time, she enjoys running, playing the violin, cooking, and volunteering at the Charlottesville SPCA.
Kuki Davey
Email: kkd7tu@virginia.edu
Kuki Davey is an undergraduate student (class of 2022) from Jacksonville, Florida, majoring in Biology with a minor in Spanish. She is pursuing research opportunities because she is interested in learning about how computer science and biology intersect and are used to further advance the medical field. She hopes to attend medical school in the future. During her free time, she enjoys volunteering, traveling, and reading.
Maggie Bujor
Email: mjb6ep@virginia.edu
Maggie Bujor is a Computer Science Major in the class of 2022. She is interested in learning more about the exciting advances in computational genomics at the intersection of data science and biology. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school to become a physician. Outside of class, she is a member of Virginia Dance Company, volunteers actively through Madison House, and enjoys exploring Charlottesville and the Shenandoah.
Minaal Khan
Email: mk2te@virginia.edu
Minaal Khan is an undergraduate student (Class of 2022) double majoring in Biology and Psychology and minoring in Arabic. She is fascinated with how far technology has come and is excited to explore the intersection between data science and genetics. In her free time, Minaal volunteers at the UVA Hospital, dances with Jazba (a Bollywood dance team) and loves to travel.
Jasmine Dogu
Email: ejd5mm@virginia.edu
Jasmine Dogu is an undergraduate student (Class of 2022) from Fairfax, VA double majoring in Statistics and Computer Science with a possible minor in Health and Well-Being. She is interested in the development and application of data science within the medical field. She is currently involved with HackCville and theCourseForum. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, watching Ted Talks/documentaries, and volunteering in the Charlottesville Community.
Soumil Madhiwala
Email: ssm6s@virginia.edu
Soumil Madhiwala is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology and minoring in Health and Well Being. He is interested in understanding the bridge between data science and medical data and applying this knowledge in future projects. After graduating, he hopes to attend medical school. He is currently involved in Third Year Council, Indian Student Association, and is a Sports Medicine Volunteer. In his free time, he loves playing sports, photography, and being around friends.
Class of 2023
Anvitha Chimata
Email: arc6jhk@virginia.edu
Anvitha Chimata is an undergraduate student (Class of 2023) with an intended major in Statistics. She is interested in the intersection between computer science, statistics, and biology, and hopes to pursue a career in dentistry in the future. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her friends, read, and explore restaurants in Charlottesville.
Alex Li
Email: aml7hqv@virginia.edu
GitHub
Alex is an undergraduate student (Class of 2023) from Wilton, Connecticut planning on majoring in Computer Science. He's interested in machine learning and the applications of computer science to data analysis, particularly in its capability to solve pressing scientific questions. Outside of school, he likes poetry, drawing, mac and cheese, and spending time with friends.
Joe Barrett
Email: jsb8vs@virginia.edu
Joe is an undergraduate at UVA in the College of Arts and Sciences from Fauquier, VA. He is planning to major in Mathematics with a concentration in probability and statistics. The most intriguing part of research for Joe is the intersection between data and real-world applications. Outside of school, he likes fly-fishing, hiking with his dog, and he enjoys traveling to places he has not been before.
Kendall Davis
Email: kjd4pks@virginia.edu
Kendall Davis is an undergraduate student (Class of 2023) from Arlington, VA planning on majoring in Biostatistics. She’s interested in how the application of computational methods can be used to develop medical treatments. In her free time, Kendall enjoys participating in community service, exploring nature, and traveling.
Sifan Tao
Email: st5gur@virginia.edu
Sifan is an undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences (Class of 2023) majoring in Statistics and Mathematics. He's interested in the real-world application of what he has learned in class and plans to gain more experiences in research. During free time, he enjoys sports (tennis and soccer), cooking and playing games.
Aaron Mun
Email: ahm5jj@virginia.edu
Aaron is an undergraduate student (Class of 2023) from Fairfax, VA, planning on double-majoring in Biochemistry and Biostatistics with a potential minor in Bioethics. He is interested in the development and application of data science in the medical field, especially how computational methods can be applied to observe multiple health factors such as social, genetic, etc. In his free time, he likes swimming, exploring Charlottesville’s music and food scene and being with friends. He is apart of the Club Swim at UVA, PHIDE (Co-ed Pre-Medical Fraternity) and Student Council.
Naomi Luu
Email: npl2ku@virginia.edu
Naomi Luu is an undergraduate student (Class of 2023) from Northern Virginia, majoring in Biology. She is interested in biomedical research, specifically the application and impact of computational methods on the study of human diseases. She is excited to explore how the study of computer science, biology, and statistics intersect. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going to concerts, and hiking. She also volunteers through Madison House and is a member of AMSA, the All Girls Stem Society, and Alpha Epsilon Delta at UVA.
Muaaz Luqman
Email: ml9uu@virginia.edu
Muaaz Luqman is an undergraduate student (class of 2023) from South Riding, Virginia majoring in Commerce with concentrations in Finance and IT in the McIntire School of Commerce. He is interested in learning more about computational biology and its applications in providing solutions to biological issues. In the future, he aspires to go to medical school. In his free time, he enjoys playing and watching sports (Go Pack Go!), volunteering, and traveling. He is also a Resident Advisor and a member of VCG and the MSA.
Class of 2024
Kamil Urbanowski
Email: ku2yb@virginia.edu
Kamil Urbanowski is an undergraduate student (Class of 2024) from Northern Virginia majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Data Science. He is passionate about exploring the intersection between machine learning and biotechnology. More specifically, Kamil is interested in understanding genetics through an engineering lens. He hopes to attend graduate school and one day work on developing innovations in healthcare and beyond. In his leisure time, Kamil enjoys reading fiction books, playing basketball, traveling, and watching new movies. He is also a member of the Mechatronics and Robotics Society (MARS) at UVA.
Sydney Saviano
Email: scs8kcb@virginia.edu
Sydney Saviano is an undergraduate student (Class or 2024) from Westchester, New York majoring in global public health or mathematics on the pre-med track. She is interested in seeing how data science and biology can work hand in hand to further advance the medical field. In her free time, she volunteers through Madison House, and is a member of the club squash team and Woody-Cauthen association student council organization.
Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
| Name | Program | Time at Lab | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yushan (Brandon) Feng | BA/MS in Computer Science/Statistics | 04/2018–05/2019 | PhD Student in Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park |
| Jiangxue Han | MS in Data Science | 07/2018–08/2019 | Capital One |
| Seung Hyun (Andrew) Lee | BA/MS in Statistics | 09/2018–05/2019 | Associate at Wells Fargo |
| Jamel Simpson | PhD in Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) (Rotation) | 01/2021–02/2021 | PhD Student in BIMS, UVA |
| Wuwei Tan | MS in Statistics | 05/2017–05/2018 | PhD Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University |
| Jose Verdezoto | PhD in Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) (Rotation) | 10/2020–11/2020 | PhD Student in BIMS, UVA |
| Yifan Zhang | MS in Biomedical Engineering | 08/2018–12/2019 |
Undergraduate Students
| Name | Major | Time at Lab | Position after graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yayi Feng | Biology | 09/2017–05/2020 | MS Student in Data Science, UVA |
| Aaron Ho | Biochemistry and Computer Science | 10/2018–05/2020 | |
| Zhou Lu | Statistics and Economics | 04/2018–05/2020 | MS Student in Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University |
| Naifei Pan | Statistics | 04/2018–02/2019 | Data Analyst at GSK |
| Sophie Park | Biochemistry and Music | 01/2019–08/2019 | Postbac IRTA Research Fellow, NIH |
| Stephany Perez-Rojas | Statistics | 01/2018–08/2019 | MS Student in Statistics, UVA |
| Sekou Rowe | NSF REU Summer Student; Chemical Engineering, Howard University | 05/2019–08/2019 | Undergrad Student in Chemical Engineering, Howard University |
| Allison Ryu | Computer Science | 09/2018–12/2018 | Software engineer at Amazon |
| Celina Shih | Summer Research Intern; Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University | 05/2017–08/2017 | Bioinformatician, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Jin Yong (Jeffrey) Yoo | Computer Science | 02/2018–05/2020 | MS Student in Computer Science, UVA |
Research Assistants
| Name | Background | Time at Lab | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wenjing Ma | MS in Computer Science, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications | 08/2018–06/2019 | PhD Student in Computer Science and Informatics (BMI track), Emory University |
| Yiren Wang | BS in Astronomy, Peking University | 07/2017–06/2018 | Graduate Student in Statistics, Columbia University |
Visting Scholars and Students
| Name | Primary Position | Time at Lab | Current Position (if different) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gang Chen, MD, PhD | Professor of Molecular Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University | 09/2018–08/2019 | |
| Rongquan He, MD | PhD Student, Guangxi Medical University | 03/2018–02/2019 | Oncologist, Guangxi Medical University First Hospital |
| Qi Li | PhD Student in Statistics, Tsinghua University | 01/2018–02/2018, 03/2019 | |
| Wen Shen | Undergraduate Student in Biological Sciences, Nanjing University | 02/2018–05/2018 | Graduate Student in Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University |
We are recruiting!
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The Zang lab is recruiting motivated students and scholars to work on various topics in computational biology in a collaborative research team. Postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students are all welcome. Please visit Positions page for details.
Last modified: May 28, 2021