
XIAOYU ZHANG
Email: zhang@northwestern.edu
Google Scholar
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
AWARDS AND HONORS
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
2022 Baker Faculty Research Program Award
2021 Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists
2020 The NIH Pathway to Independence Award
2020 Keystone Symposia Future of Science Fund Scholarship
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