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People

Yingze Zhang, PhD

Director

Dr. Zhang received her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pathology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1997. She completed her postdoctoral training at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the areas of human genetics and molecular biology. Dr. Zhang joined Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics at University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in 1999. In her early research, Dr. Zhang conducted research in genetics of craniofacial, dental and other diseases as well as molecular pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis. The Translational Research Core Laboratory (TRCL) was established soon after Dr. Zhang joined the Division of PACCM in 2002 and she has been the director from its establishment. Dr. Zhang’s research is concentrated on the molecular and genetic basis of advanced lung diseases including IPF and COPD as well as sickle cell disease and bone mineral density in humans. Dr. Zhang is a Professor of Medicine, Human Genetics and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She directs the central biorepository for the Walk-PhaSST (Pulmonary Hypertension and Sickle Sildenafil Therapy Trial), the multi-center study of Riociguat in patients with sickle cell diseases (STERIO-SCD), a web-based nation-wide sickle cell registry with DNA sample collection (RAPPORT) and the Sickle Cell Disease and CardiovAscular Risk - Red cell Exchange Trial (SCD-CARRE) study. Dr. Zhang is a member of the steering committees of the NIDDK COPE-AKI Consortium and the NHLBI TOPMED study. She serves as a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pathology.

zhangy@upmc.edu | 412-624-7225

PACCM Faculty Profile

   
   
Nancy Petro, BS

Lab Manager

Nancy Petro is the lab manager for the TRCL. She started her biomedical research career at the University of Pittsburgh more than 25 years ago. Prior to joining the TRCL, Mrs. Petro managed a genetics lab in the Department of Human Genetics focusing on many common diseases. She has extensive experience in clinical sample processing and banking, genetic analyses, managing a large laboratory with multiple translational research projects and clinical trials. She joined the TRCL in 2013. Her responsibilities include overall management of the TRCL daily operations and coordinating with multiple investigators, coordinators and research staff members regarding translational and clinical projects.  She also manages the Freezerworks database for overall biorepository conducted at the TRCL.

petroni@upmc.edu

   
   
Xiaoyun Li, MD

Research Scientist

Dr. Xiaoyun Li received her MD from Capital Medical University in Beijing, China. She was a critical care physician and a pulmonologist at the Anzhen Hospital of Capital in Beijing, China for more than 10 years. Dr. Li started her biomedical research in the United States in 2012. She joined the Department of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and the TRCL as a Visiting Scholar from 2012-2013, rejoined our team as a Postdoctoral Fellow from 2016 to 2018, and was promoted to Research Scientist in 2018. Dr. Li is an expert in molecular and cellular biology and performing molecular, biomarker, and genetic analyses for supported projects. Dr. Li leads the basic and translational research programs in Dr. Zhang's group and is the lead author for several of published original research and scientific reviews. She is the driving force for the on-going project on functional analysis of TOLLIP, a gene associated with IPF identified through GWAS analysis, in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis. She has co-authored more than 20 scientific publications.

   
   
Quanwei (David) Yang, BS

Research Technician

Quanwei Yang received his BS from China. He joined the TRCL, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh as research technician in 2009. He is the lead technician in clinical sample processing, cataloging, banking, and sample retrieval. He has provided support for many clinical and translational research projects and is currently supporting many studies. He is also experienced with the Freezerworks database system to manage the biological samples inventory which contains about 20,000 samples, aliquots, and 5,0000 sub-aliquots from more than 42,000 blood, urine, and BAL samples as of November 2017.

   
   
Diane Lavsa, BS

Research Technician

Diane Lavsa received her BS in Zoology from Miami University, Oxford, OH. She worked at the National Aviary, Pittsburgh, PA, for more than 13 years before joining the University of Pittsburgh. She joined the TRCL in 2020 as a Research Technician. She has served as the lead technician for our established transplant repository. In addition, Ms. Lavsa also supports other clinical and translational studies conducted in PACCM and clinical trials related to the lung transplant program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She uses the Freezerworks database for sample processing, barcoding, repository, retrieving of clinical samples for studies.

   
   
Yanwu Zhao, BS

Research Technician

Yanwu Zhao received her BS in Nursing from Peking University in Beijing, China. Prior to her research career in the United States, Ms. Zhao was a Registered Nurse in China for 13 years. She joined the TRCL in 2021. Ms. Zhao is the lead technician for biomarker and genetics analysis associated with supported studies. She is also involved in clinical sample processing, banking, and retrieving. She participates in molecular and cellular studies dissecting the pathogeneses of lung diseases. She maintains and organizes critical experimental data for later analysis.

   
   
Umesh Nepali, BS

Research Technician

Umesh Nepali received his BS in Biomedical Science from the West Liberty University, West Liberty, West Virginia. He joined the TRCL in 2022. Mr. Nepali is involved in clinical sample processing, banking, and retrieving. He participates in molecular and cellular studies dissecting the pathogeneses of lung diseases.

   
   
Gillian Goobie, MD

Graduate Student

Dr. Gillian Goobie received her MD from the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2014. Prior to starting her PhD in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in 2019, Dr. Goobie completed clinical residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Calgary from 2014-2017 and Respirology at the University of British Columbia from 2017-2019. Dr. Goobie is conducting translational research evaluating the intersection of environmental exposures with molecular mechanisms of disease in patients with interstitial lung diseases and other pulmonary conditions. Her novel research combines clinical data from the Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease patient registry, as well as multiple other clinical registries from across the U.S. and Canada, with satellite-derived geospatial technologies for measuring air pollution exposures. In our lab, Dr. Goobie is applying this novel environmental exposure technique to investigate the linkage between air pollution exposures and molecular mechanisms of disease, including DNA methylation and gene expression patterns. Dr. Goobie is the first author of 11 publications, co-author on another 3 publications, and the senior author of 1 publication. Her PhD work will produce an additional 4 or 5 primary manuscripts, with additional collaborations on multiple other projects throughout the Graduate School of Public Health and the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

   
   
Sharon Kim

Undergraduate Researcher

Sharon Kim is currently enrolled in the BS/MD program at the University of Pittsburgh and will start her medical school in the fall 2022. Sharon joined Dr. Zhang’s group in 2017 when she was a high school junior and has been involved in the research programs since. She has contributed to several on-going projects studying the molecular basis of lung fibrosis and is a co-author on the primary publication for the functional analysis of TOLLIP in lung fibrosis.

   
   
   
   
   
   
 

Former Lab Members

   
   
Ting-yun Chen

Graduate Student

Dr. Chen was a graduate student from the National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. She performed her graduate research under the direction of Dr. Zhang at the University of Pittsburgh between 2015 to 2020. Dr. Chen successfully defended her PhD dissertation in 2021 and currently is a research scientist in Taiwan.

   
   
Yanxia Chu, MD

Senior Research Technician

Dr. Yanxia Chu received her MD from Medical School at the University of Qingdao in China. She was a senior research technician of the TRCL between 2008 to 2020. Dr. Chu is currently enjoying out-doors with her family as a retiree.

   
   
Wei Xu, MD

Research Technician

Dr. Wei Xu received her MD from Shanxi Medical University in China and was a pediatrician for more than 10 years. She joined the TRCL in early 2016 and served as the lead technician for the transplant repository. She continued her research career as a technician in School of Pharmacy since 2019.

   
   
Hongmei Wan, MD

Research Technician

Dr. Hongmei Wan received her MD from China and worked as a Research Technician in the TRCL between 2019 to 2020. Dr. Wan was the lead technician for our transplant repository. She relocated out of Pittsburgh with her family in 2020.

   
   
Emily Broderick, BS

Research Technician

Emily Broderick received her BS from Westminster College in Neuroscience in 2017.  She joined the TRCL shortly after her graduation.  Emily was in charge the clinical sample processing, banking and retrieving for the MedBio study. She started her nursing school training in 2019 and currently is a nurse in the great Pittsburgh area.

   
   
Lea Chwilka, BS

Research Technician

Lea Chwilka received her BS from Carlow University and joined the TRCL shortly after her graduation. Lea was involved in the clinical sample processing, banking and retrieving for the MedBio study. She started her nursing school training in 2020 and currently serves as a nurse in the great Pittsburgh area.

   
   
Kyle Hamilton, BS

Research Technician

Kyle Hamilton received his BS degree from the University of Pittsburgh and joined the TRCL in 2020. He started his medical school training in 2021 after a short stay in the TRCL.

   
   
Carolyn Raymer, MS

Research Technician

Carolyn Raymer was with the TRCL from late 2019 to 2021. She was involved in clinical sample processing, banking and retrieving for supported studies.