Welcome to the Baifeng Home
My name is Baifeng Zhang (B. Zhang), a computational biologist with coding training and research expertise in cancer evolution and metastatic microenvironment, currently working as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Prof. Linghua Wang’s lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
I was graduated with bachelor degree from Ningbo University (NBU) and majored in molecular biology. I have excellent command of PCR, Primer design, Constructed vector, Connection, Conversion and Coated plates etc. As an undergraduate, I conducted research with Dr. Xiaojun Yan and successfully developed a molecular diagnostic assay (loop-mediated isothermal amplification), which can be used to detect the potential microcystin-producing Microcystis in the aquatic ecosystem. The assay is simpler and more accurate in the field than previously published traditional PCR assays. A subsequent first and co-first author publications were featured articles on the major journals Harmful Algae, Acta Ecologica Sinica.
Since 2013, I started my journey as a Bioinformatics Engineer and worked with Dr. Xiangchun Li in BGI, and then leaded several large-scale projects analyzing the whole genome, whole exome, RNA-seq and DNA methylation sequencing data from renal cancer (Nature Communications 2019), ovarian cancer (Gynecologic Oncology 2020), bladder cancer (Molecular Oncology 2022) and glioma patients (iScience 2022). At 2018, I moved to Karolinska Institutet as a researh assistant of Dr. Zongli Zheng’s group and focused on a clinical-grade fusion detection algorithm named SplitFusion with high research potentials (Patterns 2025). At 2024, I got my PhD degree under the joint-supervision of Prof. Xinyuan Guan (academical) and Prof. Dora Lai-wan KWONG (clinical), from Department of Clinical Oncology in Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed).
Now, my research focuses on computational cancer genomics, taking advantage of massively parallel sequencing (single cell and spatial transcriptomics to 1) study the heterogeneity and evolutional trajectories of cancer cells, and 2) the interplay between an evolving cancer and its surrounding immune microenvironment (Hepatoma Research 2021; Advanced Science 2023; PNAS 2023; PNAS 2024; Nature Communications 2024; PNAS 2025).
I am focusing on Cancer evolution, Immunology, and Deep learning (more info) !
News
11. April 2025Congratulation! Baifeng's the co-first authored paper entitled FAO-Fueled OXPHOS and NRF2-Mediated Stress Resilience in MICs Drive Lymph Node Metastasis is published in PNAS!
17. February 2025Congratulations to Dr. Baifeng Zhang on joining MD Anderson Cancer Center as a Postdoctoral Fellow! With a steadfast commitment to a singular goal: Making Cancer History!!
14. February 2025Valentine's Day Gifts! Baifeng's the co-first authored paper entitled SplitFusion enables ultrasensitive gene fusion detection and reveals fusion variant-associated tumor heterogeneity is published in Patterns!
17. November 2024Congratulation! Baifeng's the co-first authored paper entitled GPRC5A promotes lung colonization of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is published in Nature Communications!
21. October 2024Congratulation! Baifeng's the co-first authored paper entitled QSOX1 facilitates dormant esophageal cancer stem cells to evade immune elimination via PD-L1 upregulation and CD8 T cell exclusion is published in PNAS!
02. August 2024Congratulation to Dr. Baifeng Zhang on his successful PhD denfense!
10. October 2023Congratulation! Baifeng's the co-first authored paper entitled Targeting MFGE8 secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts blocks angiogenesis and metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is published in PNAS!
14-16. June 2023Baifeng is invited to give a short talk on Metastatic microenvironment of ESCC in IAS International Workshop on Biological data science, AI & Medicine (BAM workshop) hosted by HKUST IAS (June 14-16)
14-19. April 2023Baifeng is selected for poster presentation on Pan-cancer single-cell analysis reveals the interactions of SPP1+MMP12+ macrophages with metastasis-initiating cells that drives metastasis in AACR Annual Meeting 2023 in Orlando, Florida (April 14-19)