XIAOYU ZHANG

Email: zhang@northwestern.edu
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Xiaoyu Zhang received his B.S. and M.S. in pharmaceutical sciences at Zhejiang University, where he studied with Professor Zhongjun Ma. In 2017, he completed his Ph.D. in chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell University, where he studied with Professor Hening Lin and demonstrated lysine fatty-acylation as an abundant and physiologically relevant protein posttranslational modification. As a Damon Runyon fellow at The Scripps Research Institute, he conducted his postdoctoral research with Professor Benjamin Cravatt and developed a generalizable proteomic platform to discover novel E3 ligase systems that support small molecule-mediated protein degradation.

In 2022, Zhang started his independent career as an assistant professor at Northwestern University. His research group integrates chemical proteomics, functional genomics and chemical genetics to discover small molecules that modulate protein functions through novel mechanisms.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENT
2022-present      Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Northwestern University
2022-present      Member of Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University
2022-present      Member of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University
2023-present      Member of the Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University
2023-present      Member of the International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University

AWARDS AND HONORS
2025    Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Innovation Research Award
2025    Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund Award
2025    OKeanos-CAPA Young Investigator Award at the Chemical and Biology Interface
2024    NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)
2024    CLP Convergence Research Award
2023    ACS-IRG Pilot Award
2023    Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Innovation Research Award
2022    CLP Cornew Innovation Award
2022    Falk Medical Research Trust Catalyst Award
2022    Illumina Pilot Award
2022    NCI-SPORE in Prostate Cancer Career Enhancement Program Award
2022    Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative Award
2021    Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists
2020    NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)
2018    Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
2018    Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Students Abroad
2013    Bayer Teaching Excellence Award of Cornell University
2011    Eli Lilly Asia Outstanding Graduate Thesis Award
2010   Chu Kochen Scholarship of Zhejiang University