College Names Chair of Pathology
Xianfeng Frank Zhao, MD, PhD, MBA, has been named chair of the Department of Pathology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.
Dr. Zhao is chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service for the Phoenix Veterans Administration Healthcare System, where he oversees clinical, education and research activities. He has served as a clinical professor at the college since 2016.
He has taught medical students, interns and residents in clinical settings at the VA Healthcare Systems in Phoenix and San Diego.
“We are delighted Dr. Zhao will be joining the leadership team at the College of Medicine – Phoenix,” said Guy Reed, MD, MS, Dean and Valley of the Sun Professor at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix.
Dr. Zhao is known for his research in the molecular mechanism of the lymphoma, particularly the crosstalk between different signal transduction pathways of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. He has investigated the activity of specific gene products in large B-cell lymphoma and found that two specific ones were responsible for the proliferation of lymphoma cells. He also investigates HIV-related malignant lymphomas. His goal is to discover novel biomarkers and understand the molecular biology of hematologic malignancies.
Dr. Zhao was acting chief of pathology and laboratory medicine from 2012-2016 for the San Diego Veterans Administration Healthcare System. During that time, he also was a clinical professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center.
He is founder and chairman of the San Diego Society of Hematopathology, a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance hematopathology practice, education, collaborative research and discovery in southern California. Hematopathology is the study of diseases and disorders affecting blood cells and any organs and tissues involved in hematopoiesis, such as bone marrow, the spleen and the thymus.
Dr. Zhao received his MD at Shandong Medical University in Jinan, China, and an MS in microbiology and immunology from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing. He received a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario in London and an MBA from Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.
He has served as an associate professor of pathology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore and at Washington University in St. Louis.
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About the College
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.
As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.
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