Qiang  Zhang

My research interest is focused on using computer simulations of biological systems to understand and predict the human health effects of environmental perturbations. These perturbations, elicited by environmental chemicals, dietary supplements, and drugs, can alter the dynamics of the molecular circuits and networks operating in cells, leading to multiple disease endpoints. In close collaboration with experimental biologists and toxicologists, I develop mechanistically based computational systems biology models of cellular biochemical and toxicity pathways. These mechanistically-based models will help us to make better predictions of the dose-response relationship. The current research focuses on the following areas:

• Modeling effects of environmental oxidative stressors and antioxidants on insulin secretion and sensitivity in diabetes
• Modeling humoral immune response and its disruption by the environmental contaminant dioxin
• Modeling the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis to make health risk predictions for endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• Modeling cellular stress pathways to understand nonlinear dose-response and threshold effect of low-level environmental exposure
• Modeling the ovarian follicle dominance selection and aging and their disruption by endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• Modeling circadian rhythm of cellular redox state and metabolism
• Physiologically-based pharmakokinetic (PBPK) or toxicokinetic (PBTK) modeling of tissue dosimetry and chemical exposure