Weiqiang Zhao, MD, PhD

College

College of Medicine

Department/Division

Pathology

Academic Title

Assoc Professor - Clinical

Research Program

Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics

Research Interest

Cancer, Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute, Ovarian Cancer, Lung Cancer, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, DNA Damage, Lymphoma, Lymphocytosis

Dr. Zhao's research interest include investigating and validating biomarkers in molecular pathogenesis, diagnosis, and target intervention in cancer and leukemia. One of his projects is to study the role of isoform 6 of IKZF1 gene in leukemia or lymphoma progression which has been shown to be leukemogenic in Philadelphia chromosome positive ALL. In addition, his laboratory is studying the novel role of CYP2E1 in differentiation of megakaryopoiesis. In cancers, the lab is interested in cell cycle dysregulation by activating mutations of EGFR, KRAS, and EML4-ALK genes in lung cancer.

Education and Background

Education

MD, Hunan Medical University

Changsha (China)
PhD, Tulane University Health Sciences Center

New Orleans, LA (USA)
PhD, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, TX (USA)
PhD, Tulane University School of Medicine

New Orleans, LA (USA)
PhD, Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH (USA)

Residencies

Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Medicine

Tulane University Health Sciences Center

New Orleans, LA (USA)
Intern and Resident

First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Medical University

Changsha, Hunan (China)

Fellowship

Fellow, Molecular Diagnostic Pathology, Department of Hematopathology and Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory

University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, TX (USA)
Hematopathology, Department of Pathology

Tulane University Health Sciences Center

New Orleans, LA (USA)
Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biochemistry

Tulane University School of Medicine

New Orleans, LA (USA)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Ireland Cancer Center

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH (USA)

Office Location

1000 Polaris Parkway

2001 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240

614-293-4210

614-293-7013

zhao.186@osu.edu;WEIQIANG.ZHAO@OSUMC.EDU

Publications

Assessment of Tumor Sequencing as a Replacement for Lynch Syndrome Screening and Current Molecular Tests for Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

Beightol M, Shields PG, Goldberg RM, Bacher J, Yilmaz A, Ohio Colorectal Cancer Prevention Initiative Study Group, Frankel WL, Paskett E, de la Chapelle A, Hampel H, Jacobson A, Shirts BH, Pritchard CC, Jones D, Goodfellow PJ, Miller K, Pearlman R, Zhao W

JAMA Oncol in press 03/29/2018
Single-Agent Ibrutinib in Treatment-Naïve and Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A 5-Year Experience.

Wierda W, Zhao W, Flinn IW, Jones J, Byrd JC, Coutre S, Burger JA, Sharman J, James DF, Luan Y, Blum K, Chu AD, Furman RR, Heerema NA, Johnson AJ, O'Brien S

Blood in press 02/02/2018
Comprehensive Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis is Recommended for the Management of Patients With Melanoma.

Otterson G, Shilo K, Yao K, Bajestani S, Gru A, Zhao W

Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol in press 11/22/2017
Near-tetraploidy is associated with Richter transformation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients receiving ibrutinib.

Grever MR, Maddocks KJ, Breidenbach H, Johnson AJ, Jaglowski SM, Hertlein EK, Labanowska J, Andritsos LA, Miller CR, Heerema NA, Ruppert AS, Woyach JA, Flynn JM, Gordon AL, Blum KA, Blachly JS, Zhao W, Jones JA, T Awan F, Rogers KA, Abruzzo LV, Byrd JC, Lozanski G

Blood Adv 1 1584-1588 08/22/2017
Potent induction of apoptosis by givinostat in BCR-ABL1-positive and BCR-ABL1-negative precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines.

Yao C, Zhang G, Walker A, Zhao KY, Li Y, Lyu L, Tang Y, Ru P, Jones D, Zhao W

Leuk Res in press 08/09/2017
Malignant Melanoma Presenting as Thoracic Midline Malignancy: Clinicopathologic and Molecular Features.

Yao K, Zhao W, Bajestani S, Gru A, Otterson G, Shilo K

Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol in press 08/02/2017
Epigenetic silencing of MLH1 in endometrial cancers is associated with larger tumor volume, increased rate of lymph node positivity and reduced recurrence-free survival.

Cosgrove CM, Cohn DE, Hampel H, Frankel WL, Jones D, McElroy JP, Suarez AA, Zhao W, Chen W, Salani R, Copeland LJ, O'Malley DM, Fowler JM, Yilmaz A, Chassen AS, Pearlman R, Goodfellow PJ, Backes FJ

Gynecol Oncol in press 07/11/2017
PLCG2 C2 domain mutations co-occur with BTK and PLCG2 resistance mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia undergoing ibrutinib treatment.

Lozanski G, Byrd JC, Caruthers S, Zhao W, Woyach JA, Jones D, Coleman J, Johnson AJ, Tu H

Leukemia 31 1645-1647 07/01/2017
BTK(C481S)-Mediated Resistance to Ibrutinib in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Woyach JA, Ruppert AS, Guinn D, Lehman A, Blachly JS, Lozanski A, Heerema NA, Zhao W, Coleman J, Jones D, Abruzzo L, Gordon A, Mantel R, Smith LL, McWhorter S, Davis M, Doong TJ, Ny F, Lucas M, Chase W, Jones JA, Flynn JM, Maddocks K, Rogers K, Jaglowski S, Andritsos LA, Awan FT, Blum KA, Grever MR, Lozanski G, Johnson AJ, Byrd JC

J Clin Oncol 35 1437-1443 05/01/2017
Prevalence and Spectrum of Germline Cancer Susceptibility Gene Mutations Among Patients With Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer.

Pearlman R, Frankel WL, Swanson B, Zhao W, Yilmaz A, Miller K, Bacher J, Bigley C, Nelsen L, Goodfellow PJ, Goldberg RM, Paskett E, Shields PG, Freudenheim JL, Stanich PP, Lattimer I, Arnold M, Liyanarachchi S, Kalady M, Heald B, Greenwood C, Paquette I, Prues M, Draper DJ, Lindeman C, Kuebler JP, Reynolds K, Brell JM, Shaper AA, Mahesh S, Buie N, Weeman K, Shine K, Haut M, Edwards J, Bastola S, Wickham K, Khanduja KS, Zacks R, Pritchard CC, Shirts BH, Jacobson A, Allen B, de la Chapelle A, Hampel H, Ohio Colorectal Cancer Prevention Initiative Study Group

JAMA Oncol 3 464-471 04/01/2017
Extended Treatment with Single-Agent Ibrutinib at the 420 mg Dose Leads to Durable Responses in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma.

Coutré SE, Furman RR, Flinn IW, Burger JA, Blum K, Sharman J, Jones J, Wierda W, Zhao W, Heerema NA, Johnson AJ, Tran A, Zhou C, Bilotti E, James DF, Byrd JC, O'Brien S

Clin Cancer Res 23 1149-1155 03/01/2017
Discordance between original and central laboratories in ER and HER2 results in a diverse, population-based sample.

Griggs JJ, Hamilton AS, Schwartz KL, Zhao W, Abrahamse PH, Thomas DG, Jorns JM, Jewell R, Saber ME, Haque R, Katz SJ

Breast Cancer Res Treat 161 375-384 01/01/2017
Morphological and molecular features of astroblastoma, including BRAFV600E mutations, suggest an ontological relationship to other cortical-based gliomas of children and young adults.

Lehman NL, Hattab EM, Mobley BC, Usubalieva A, Schniederjan MJ, McLendon RE, Paulus W, Rushing EJ, Georgescu MM, Couce M, Dulai MS, Cohen ML, Pierson CR, Raisanen JM, Martin SE, Lehman TD, Lipp ES, Bonnin JM, Al-Abbadi MA, Kenworthy K, Zhao K, Mohamed N, Zhang G, Zhao W

Neuro Oncol 19 31-42 01/01/2017
E1308: Phase II Trial of Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Reduced-Dose Radiation and Weekly Cetuximab in Patients With HPV-Associated Resectable Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx- ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group.

Marur S, Li S, Cmelak AJ, Gillison ML, Zhao WJ, Ferris RL, Westra WH, Gilbert J, Bauman JE, Wagner LI, Trevarthen DR, Balkrishna J, Murphy BA, Agrawal N, Colevas AD, Chung CH, Burtness B

J Clin Oncol in press JCO2016683300 12/28/2016
Sole rearrangement but not amplification of MYC is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma and B cell lymphoma unclassifiable.

Landsburg DJ, Falkiewicz MK, Petrich AM, Chu BA, Behdad A, Li S, Medeiros LJ, Cassaday RD, Reddy NM, Bast MA, Vose JM, Kruczek KR, Smith SE, Patel P, Hernandez-Ilizaliturri F, Karmali R, Rajguru S, Yang DT, Maly JJ, Blum KA, Zhao W, Vanslambrouck C, Nabhan C

Br J Haematol 175 631-640 11/01/2016
Givinostat, a type II histone deacetylase inhibitor, induces potent caspase-dependent apoptosis in human lymphoblastic leukemia.

Li Y, Zhao K, Yao C, Kahwash S, Tang Y, Zhang G, Patterson K, Wang QE, Zhao W

Genes Cancer 7 292-300 09/01/2016
Veliparib Alone or in Combination with Mitomycin C in Patients with Solid Tumors With Functional Deficiency in Homologous Recombination Repair.

Villalona-Calero MA, Duan W, Zhao W, Shilo K, Schaaf LJ, Thurmond J, Westman JA, Marshall J, Xiaobai L, Ji J, Rose J, Lustberg M, Bekaii-Saab T, Chen A, Timmers C

J Natl Cancer Inst 108 07/01/2016
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in small cell lung cancers: Two cases and a review of the literature.

Siegele BJ, Shilo K, Chao BH, Carbone DP, Zhao W, Ioffe O, Franklin WA, Edelman MJ, Aisner DL

Lung Cancer 95 65-72 05/01/2016
Oncolytic reovirus in combination with chemotherapy in metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer patients with KRAS-activated tumors.

Villalona-Calero MA, Lam E, Otterson GA, Zhao W, Timmons M, Subramaniam D, Hade EM, Gill GM, Coffey M, Selvaggi G, Bertino E, Chao B, Knopp MV

Cancer 122 875-83 03/15/2016
CT Gray-Level Texture Analysis as a Quantitative Imaging Biomarker of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation Status in Adenocarcinoma of the Lung.

Ozkan E, West A, Dedelow JA, Chu BF, Zhao W, Yildiz VO, Otterson GA, Shilo K, Ghosh S, King M, White RD, Erdal BS

AJR Am J Roentgenol 205 1016-25 11/01/2015
Somatic Mutation Spectrum of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in African Americans: A Pooled Analysis.

Araujo LH, Lammers PE, Matthews-Smith V, Eisenberg R, Gonzalez A, Schwartz AG, Timmers C, Shilo K, Zhao W, Natarajan TG, Zhang J, Yilmaz AS, Liu T, Coombes K, Carbone DP

J Thorac Oncol 10 1430-6 10/01/2015
Primary Meningeal Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma With Anaplastic Features: A Report of 2 Cases, One With BRAF(V600E) Mutation and Clinical Response to the BRAF Inhibitor Dabrafenib.

Usubalieva A, Pierson CR, Kavran CA, Huntoon K, Kryvenko ON, Mayer TG, Zhao W, Rock J, Ammirati M, Puduvalli VK, Lehman NL

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 74 960-9 10/01/2015
Upfront molecular testing in patients with advanced gastro-esophageal cancer: Is it time yet?

Mikhail S, Ciombor K, Noonan A, Wu C, Goldberg R, Zhao W, Wei L, Mathey K, Yereb M, Timmers C, Bekaii-Saab T

Oncotarget 6 22206-13 09/08/2015
Jumping translocations, a novel finding in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Miller CR, Stephens D, Ruppert AS, Racke F, McFaddin A, Breidenbach H, Lin HJ, Waller K, Bannerman T, Jones JA, Woyach JA, Andritsos LA, Maddocks K, Zhao W, Lozanski G, Flynn JM, Grever M, Byrd JC, Heerema NA

Br J Haematol 170 200-7 07/01/2015
Genomic Characterization of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in African Americans by Targeted Massively Parallel Sequencing.

Araujo LH, Timmers C, Bell EH, Shilo K, Lammers PE, Zhao W, Natarajan TG, Miller CJ, Zhang J, Yilmaz AS, Liu T, Coombes K, Amann J, Carbone DP

J Clin Oncol 33 1966-73 06/10/2015
Three-year follow-up of treatment-naïve and previously treated patients with CLL and SLL receiving single-agent ibrutinib.

Byrd JC, Furman RR, Coutre SE, Burger JA, Blum KA, Coleman M, Wierda WG, Jones JA, Zhao W, Heerema NA, Johnson AJ, Shaw Y, Bilotti E, Zhou C, James DF, O'Brien S

Blood 125 2497-506 04/16/2015
Immunoglobulin transcript sequence and somatic hypermutation computation from unselected RNA-seq reads in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Blachly JS, Ruppert AS, Zhao W, Long S, Flynn J, Flinn I, Jones J, Maddocks K, Andritsos L, Ghia EM, Rassenti LZ, Kipps TJ, de la Chapelle A, Byrd JC

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112 4322-7 04/07/2015
Enhanced expression of DNA polymerase eta contributes to cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer stem cells.

Srivastava AK, Han C, Zhao R, Cui T, Dai Y, Mao C, Zhao W, Zhang X, Yu J, Wang QE

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112 4411-6 04/07/2015
Etiology of Ibrutinib Therapy Discontinuation and Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Maddocks KJ, Ruppert AS, Lozanski G, Heerema NA, Zhao W, Abruzzo L, Lozanski A, Davis M, Gordon A, Smith LL, Mantel R, Jones JA, Flynn JM, Jaglowski SM, Andritsos LA, Awan F, Blum KA, Grever MR, Johnson AJ, Byrd JC, Woyach JA

JAMA Oncol 1 80-7 04/01/2015
Impact of Pre-Analytical Variables on Cancer Targeted Gene Sequencing Efficiency.

Araujo LH, Timmers C, Shilo K, Zhao W, Yu L, Natarajan TG, Miller CJ, Yilmaz AS, Liu T, Amann J, Lapa E Silva JR, Ferreira CG, Carbone DP

PLoS One 10 e0143092 01/01/2015
Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma Component from an Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Lung with Identical Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations.

Burkart J, Shilo K, Zhao W, Ozkan E, Ajam A, Otterson GA

Case Rep Pulmonol 2015 283875 01/01/2015
A novel role of CYP2E1 in human megakaryocyte development.

Tang Y, Zhang G, Baird M, Racke F, Zhao W

In Vivo 28 1077-84 11/01/2014
Clinical and metabolic parameters in non-small cell lung carcinoma and colorectal cancer patients with and without KRAS mutations.

Davis ME, Zhou XP, Frankel W, Otterson GA, Zhao W, Yilmaz A, Mohamed N, Patterson KA, Tang Y, Shilo K, Villalona-Calero MA

Int J Environ Res Public Health 11 8645-60 09/01/2014
Increased NQO1 but not c-MET and survivin expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma with KRAS mutations.

Yilmaz A, Mohamed N, Patterson KA, Tang Y, Shilo K, Villalona-Calero MA, Davis ME, Zhou X, Frankel W, Otterson GA, Beall HD, Zhao W

Int J Environ Res Public Health 11 9491-502 09/01/2014
Erlotinib in African Americans with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective randomized study with genetic and pharmacokinetic analyses.

Phelps MA, Stinchcombe TE, Blachly JS, Zhao W, Schaaf LJ, Starrett SL, Wei L, Poi M, Wang D, Papp A, Aimiuwu J, Gao Y, Li J, Otterson GA, Hicks WJ, Socinski MA, Villalona-Calero MA

Clin Pharmacol Ther 96 182-91 08/01/2014
From single-gene to multiplex analysis in lung cancer, challenges and accomplishments: a review of a single institution's experience.

Zhao W, Damodaran S, Villalona-Calero MA

Lung Cancer Manag 4 315-324 08/01/2014
Validation of ZAP-70 methylation and its relative significance in predicting outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Claus R, Lucas DM, Ruppert AS, Williams KE, Weng D, Patterson K, Zucknick M, Oakes CC, Rassenti LZ, Greaves AW, Geyer S, Wierda WG, Brown JR, Gribben JG, Barrientos JC, Rai KR, Kay NE, Kipps TJ, Shields P, Zhao W, Grever MR, Plass C, Byrd JC

Blood 124 42-8 07/03/2014
Complete response to induction therapy in patients with Myc-positive and double-hit non-Hodgkin lymphoma is associated with prolonged progression-free survival.

Cohen JB, Geyer SM, Lozanski G, Zhao W, Heerema NA, Hall NC, Nagar VA, Hemminger JA, Jones JA, Porcu P, Christian BA, Baiocchi RA, Maddocks KJ, Flynn JM, Devine SM, Blum KA

Cancer 120 1677-85 06/01/2014
DDB2 suppresses tumorigenicity by limiting the cancer stem cell population in ovarian cancer.

Han C, Zhao R, Liu X, Srivastava A, Gong L, Mao H, Qu M, Zhao W, Yu J, Wang QE

Mol Cancer Res 12 784-94 05/01/2014
Y-chromosome status identification suggests a recipient origin of posttransplant non-small cell lung carcinomas: chromogenic in situ hybridization analysis.

Chen W, Brodsky SV, Zhao W, Otterson GA, Villalona-Calero M, Satoskar AA, Hasan A, Pelletier R, Ivanov I, Ross P, Nadasdy T, Shilo K

Hum Pathol 45 1065-70 05/01/2014
CDK4 deficiency promotes genomic instability and enhances Myc-driven lymphomagenesis.

Lu Y, Wu Y, Feng X, Shen R, Wang JH, Fallahi M, Li W, Yang C, Hankey W, Zhao W, Ganju RK, Li MO, Cleveland JL, Zou X

J Clin Invest 124 1672-84 04/01/2014
Prolonged lymphocytosis during ibrutinib therapy is associated with distinct molecular characteristics and does not indicate a suboptimal response to therapy.

Woyach JA, Smucker K, Smith LL, Lozanski A, Zhong Y, Ruppert AS, Lucas D, Williams K, Zhao W, Rassenti L, Ghia E, Kipps TJ, Mantel R, Jones J, Flynn J, Maddocks K, O'Brien S, Furman RR, James DF, Clow F, Lozanski G, Johnson AJ, Byrd JC

Blood 123 1810-7 03/20/2014
DNA damage-binding complex recruits HDAC1 to repress Bcl-2 transcription in human ovarian cancer cells.

Zhao R, Han C, Eisenhauer E, Kroger J, Zhao W, Yu J, Selvendiran K, Liu X, Wani AA, Wang QE

Mol Cancer Res 12 370-80 03/01/2014
A phase I trial of flavopiridol in relapsed multiple myeloma.

Hofmeister CC, Poi M, Bowers MA, Zhao W, Phelps MA, Benson DM, Kraut EH, Farag S, Efebera YA, Sexton J, Lin TS, Grever M, Byrd JC

Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 73 249-57 02/01/2014
Ibrutinib as initial therapy for elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma: an open-label, multicentre, phase 1b/2 trial.

O'Brien S, Furman RR, Coutre SE, Sharman JP, Burger JA, Blum KA, Grant B, Richards DA, Coleman M, Wierda WG, Jones JA, Zhao W, Heerema NA, Johnson AJ, Izumi R, Hamdy A, Chang BY, Graef T, Clow F, Buggy JJ, James DF, Byrd JC

Lancet Oncol 15 48-58 01/01/2014
ER and PR immunohistochemistry and HER2 FISH versus oncotype DX: implications for breast cancer treatment.

Park MM, Ebel JJ, Zhao W, Zynger DL

Breast J 20 37-45 01/01/2014
Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia with high-risk genomic features have inferior outcome on successive Cancer and Leukemia Group B trials with alemtuzumab consolidation: subgroup analysis from CALGB 19901 and CALGB 10101.

Jones JA, Ruppert AS, Zhao W, Lin TS, Rai K, Peterson B, Larson RA, Marcucci G, Heerema NA, Byrd JC

Leuk Lymphoma 54 2654-9 12/01/2013
Hemophagocytosis in a patient with persistent chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Kamangar E, Zhao W

Blood 122 2149 09/26/2013
Left-sided sessile serrated polyps/adenomas--reply.

Yearsley MM, Frankel WL, Zhou XP, Zhao W, Huang CC

Hum Pathol 44 1960-1 09/01/2013
Targeting BTK with ibrutinib in relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Byrd JC, Furman RR, Coutre SE, Flinn IW, Burger JA, Blum KA, Grant B, Sharman JP, Coleman M, Wierda WG, Jones JA, Zhao W, Heerema NA, Johnson AJ, Sukbuntherng J, Chang BY, Clow F, Hedrick E, Buggy JJ, James DF, O'Brien S

N Engl J Med 369 32-42 07/04/2013