Associate Professor Li Zhang
Dr Li Zhang is an Associate Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. Associate Professor Zhang received her MBBS degree from Fudan University in Shanghai,听China, and PhD degree from the University of Cambridge in the UK. Associate Professor听Zhang was a clinician at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing prior to her PhD study. After completing her PhD, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology at the National University of Singapore before joining the University of New South Wales (亚美棋牌).听
Education
- MB BS, Fudan University, China
- PhD, University of Cambridge, UK
Research
Associate Professor Li Zhang's group investigates bacterial species that cause or prevent听inflammatory diseases听补苍诲 cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.听 They study bacterial genomes, bacterial virulence factors,听interactions of bacterial pathogens and gut microbiome with the immune system, and novel methods to modify gut and oral microbiome and enhance听antibiotic sensitivity. 听Associate Professor Zhang's earlier research was on autoimmune diseases.听
Associate Professor Li Zhang is a pioneering researcher in the field of听human-hosted Campylobacter species and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). She hypothesized that some strains of听颁补尘辫测濒辞产补肠迟别谤听肠辞苍肠颈蝉耻蝉, a bacterium that usually colonises the human oral cavity,听have enteric pathogenicity and are the initiator of a subgroup of human IBD. Research in Associate Professor听Zhang鈥檚 group has provided critical information to this emerging research field, including disease association, C. concisus natural colonisation site, the discovery of two听C. concisus genomospecies based on core genome,听补苍诲 C. concisus genomic features associated with IBD. They discovered that C. concisus听pSma1 plasmid is associated with severe ulcerative colitis (UC)听. 听They also found that C. concisus plasmid pICON听补苍诲 a novel toxin gene csep1听are associated with听active Crohn's disease (CD), and that patients with CD who carry听pICON positive C. concisus strains are more likely to develop complications .听听UC and CD are the two major clinical forms of IBD. Associate Professor听Zhang's laboratory听is currently investigating the pathogenic mechanisms of IBD-associated听C. concisus 辫濒补蝉尘颈诲蝉.听听
The second aspect of current research in Zhang's group is on Aeromonas species. Aeromonas species are emerging enteric bacterial pathogens, causing gastrointestinal infections with varied severity from mild self-limiting diseases to dysentery. Up to 40% of patients with Aeromonas gastrointestinal infection require antibiotic treatment. Associate Professor Zhang's team recently discovered that Aeromonas species are the second most common enteric bacterial pathogens in Australia, with a novel three-peak infection pattern associated with patient age.听. They also discovered that Aeromonas gastrointestinal infection in Australia is primarily locally acquired. Further research will be conducted to investigate the sources of infection and examine the Aeromonas bacteria at the species level, which will provide essential information for effective prevention and targeted treatment.听
The third aspect of research in Associate Professor听Zhang's group is the impact of microbes on immune regulation. 听Associate Professor听Zhang hypothesized that chronic infection and inflammation may impact PD-L1/PD1 blockade therapy.听听. The research听group has recently found that some commensal gut bacterial species听up-regulate the intestinal epithelial expression of PD-L1 under inflammatory conditions听 . Ongoing research in Associate Professor听Zhang's laboratory听is investigating the mechanisms by which different gut bacterial species impact immunotherapy.听听
The fourth aspect of research in Associate Professor Zhang's group is on discovery of novel anti-inflammatory agents and development of improved diagnostic methods for detecting bacterial pathogen infections.
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Selected Publications
Naidovski N, Chong SKT, Liu F, Riordan SM, Wehrhahn MC, Yuwono C, Zhang L. 2025, ' Human macrophage response to the emerging enteric pathogen Aeromonas veronii: Inflammation, apoptosis and downregulation of histones' .听Virulence 16 (1), 2440554.听https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21505594.2024.2440554
Eslick GD, Tay ACY, Zhang L, Marshall BJ, 2024, ' The 22nd International Workshop on Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and Related Organisms (CHRO) 2024'听 Trends in Microbiology, 33 (2) p133-136.听https://www.cell.com/trends/microbiology/fulltext/S0966-842X(24)00292-0
Lee SA, Liu F, Phan M, Chong S, Biazik J, Tay ACY, Janitz M, Riordan SM, Lan R, Wehrhahn MC, Zhang L, 2023, 'Emerging Aeromonas enteric infections: their association with inflammatory bowel disease and novel pathogenic mechanisms.' Microbiology Spectrum. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01088-23
Yumono C, Wehrhahn MC, Liu F, Zhang L, 2023, ' Enteric Aeromonas听infections: a common enteric bacterial infection with a novel infection pattern detected in an Australian population with gastroenteritis.' Microbiology Spectrum. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00286-23
Liu F, Yuwono C, Tay ACY, Wehrhahn MC, Riordan SM, Zhang L, 2022, 'Analysis of global Aeromonas veronii genomes provides novel information on source of infection and virulence in human gastrointestinal diseases.' BMC genomics 23 (1), 1-15.
Liu F, Chen S, Luu LDW, Lee SA, Tay ACY, Wu R, Riordan SM, Lan R, Liu L, Zhang L, 2020, 'Analysis of complete Campylobacter concisus genomes identifies genomospecies features, secretion systems and novel plasmids and their association with severe ulcerative colitis.', Microbial Genomics,
Lee SA; Wang Y; Liu F; Riordan SM; Liu L; Zhang L, 2020, 'Escherichia coli K12 upregulates PD-L1 expression in IFN-纬 sensitized intestinal epithelial cells via the NF-魏B pathway.',听Infect Immun,听
Liu F; Ma R; Tay CYA; Octavia S; Lan R; Chung HKL; Riordan SM; Grimm MC; Leong RW; Tanaka MM; Connor S; Zhang L, 2018, 'Genomic analysis of oral Campylobacter concisus strains identified a potential bacterial molecular marker associated with active Crohn's disease',听Emerging Microbes and Infections, vol. 7,听
Wang Y; Ma R; Liu F; Lee SA; Zhang L, 2018, 'Modulation of Gut Microbiota: A Novel Paradigm of Enhancing the Efficacy of Programmed Death-1 and Programmed Death Ligand-1 Blockade Therapy. Front. Immunol.听听听
Liu F; Ma R; Wang Y; Zhang L, 2018, 'The clinical importance of Campylobacter concisus and other human hosted Campylobacter species',听Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, vol. 8,听
Chung HKL; Tay A; Octavia S; Chen J; Liu F; Ma R; Lan R; Riordan SM; Grimm MC; Zhang L, 2016, 'Genome analysis of Campylobacter concisus strains from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and gastroenteritis provides new insights into pathogenicity',听Scientific Reports, vol. 6,听
Lastovica AJ; On SLW; Zhang L, 2014, 'The family Campylobacteraceae', in Moreira AP B; Meirelles PM; Thompson F (ed.),听The Prokaryotes, Springer Heidelberg, New York Dordrecht London, pp. 307 - 335,听
Mahendran V; Riordan S; Grimm M; Tran TAT; Major J; Kaakoush NO; Mitchell HM; Zhang L, 2011, 'Prevalence of Campylobacter species in adult Crohn's disease and the preferential colonization sites of Campylobacter species in the human intestine',听PLoS ONE, vol. 6, pp. 1 - 7,听
Zhang L; Budman V; Day AS; Mitchell HM; Lemberg DA; Riordan SM; Grimm M; Leach ST; Ismail Y, 2010, 'Isolation and detection of Campylobacter concisus from saliva of healthy individuals and patients with inflammatory bowel disease',听Journal of Clinical Microbiology, vol. 48, pp. 2965 - 2967,听
Zhang L; Man S; Day AS; Leach ST; Lemberg DA; Dutt S; Stormon MO; Otley AR; O Loughlin E; Magoffin A; Ng P; Mitchell HM, 2009, 'Detection and isolation of Campylobacter species other than C. jejuni from children with Crohn`s disease',听Journal of Clinical Microbiology, vol. 47, pp. 453 - 455,听
Zhang L; Jayne DRW; Zhao MH; Lockwood CM; Oliveira DBG, 1995, 'Distribution of MHC class II alleles in primary systemic vasculitis',听Kidney International, vol. 47, pp. 294 - 298,听
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Full List of Publications and Citations
Associate Professor Zhang's full list of publications and citations can be found on .
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Media Release
/newsroom/news/2024/03/antibiotic-resistance-in-UTIs-highest-in-aged-care-facilities-study
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Associate Editor and听Editorial Board Member
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology: Associate Editor (bacteria and host) since 2022
Gut Pathogens: Associate Editor听since 2021
World Journal of Gastroenterology: Editorial Board Member听since 2017
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PhD and Masters by Research Student Supervision
As the primary supervisor, Associate Professor听Li Zhang has supervised 13 higher degree research students to completion at 亚美棋牌 since 2008 (seven PhD听补苍诲 six Masters by Research students).
Current supervision areas include:
- Genomic and proteomic analysis of the pathogenicity of听Campylobacter concisus, Aeromonas species, and听other emerging bacterial pathogens
- Microbes and their pathogenic mechanisms in听IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases
- The interactions of gut microbiota and the immune system in health and disease
- Novel strategies to modify microbiota and combat antimicrobial resistance
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Honours Research Project Supervision
As the primary supervisor, Associate Professor听Zhang has supervised 30 honours degree research students to completion at 亚美棋牌 since 2008. For current available projects, please see the school honours project book..
Undergraduate Teaching
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BABS 3041 (Immunology):听Associate Professor听Zhang has been the course coordinator and principal听lecturer since 2012.
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Medical Microbiology:听Associate Professor Zhang is the coordinator and principal听lecturer for the medical microbiology component in 亚美棋牌 medical program (Phase I, Phase II and Phase III).
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BABS 3081 (Bacteria and Disease): Associate Professor Zhang delivers three lectures for this course.
Awards
- 2024听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 亚美棋牌 Arc PGC Research Supervisor Award Faculty of Science Honourable Mention
- 2020听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 BABS T1 Teaching Award Runner-up (Large Class Course):听BABS3041 Immunology
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2019听听听听听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 亚美棋牌 President Award Nominee听 听
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2014听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听 BABS T1 Titans of Teaching Award (Large Class Course): BABS3041 Immunology
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