Kang Zhang, MD, PhD is Professor of Ophthalmology and Human Genetics and Chief of Ophthalmic Genetics, and Director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at University of California San Diego.
His clinical and research focuses are on novel disease gene targets and treatment, gene and stem cell based therapies in age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal degeneration and glaucoma. He has numerous grants from National Institute of Health, and other foundations. Dr. Zhang has published or co-authored more than 100 peer reviewed manuscripts in top journals - covering a wide range of topics in genetics, molecular biology, stem cell, and clinical trials in ophthalmology.
Among his honors include AAAS fellow, Chinese National Endowed Visiting Professorship, Chang Jiang Scholar, Burroughs Wellcome Fund Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research; Lew R. Wasserman Merit Award and Senior Investigator Award from Research to Prevent Blindness; memberships in Association of American Physicians, American Society of Clinical Investigation, Macula Society; Charles Schepens Award for Excellence in Retina Research; and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Clinician Scientist Award.
He obtained his M.D. with Magna Cum Laude honors from Harvard Medical School and MIT joint MD program and his PhD in genetics from Harvard University. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University and his retina fellowship at University of Utah. He was a faculty at Johns Hopkins University, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University of Utah. He is currently Professor of Ophthalmology and Human Genetics and Chief of Ophthalmic Genetics, and Director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at University of California San Diego.
