Dr. Rong Zhong is an associate professor in the department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology (HUST). She received PhD in 2013 from School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Hust. Her major area of research interest is molecular epidemiology and cancer epidemiology. She and her group employ the bioinformatics, molecular epidemiological and molecular biological approaches to examine the association between genetic variants and susceptibility to various cancers. Besides, the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions have also been explored to confer susceptibility to various cancers. The investigated studies advance in the understanding of the causative variants predisposing to cancers. As PI she has chaired 6 research projects, and published 17 SCI papers as first author and 7 SCI papers as corresponding author, such as Nature Genetics, Cancer Research, Carcinogenesis, and Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. She was the recipient of the Provincial Second Prize of Natural Science award as the third contributor.

EDUCATION

2013/06—2015/06 HUST Postdoctoral Fellow in Epidemiology and Biostatistics Wuhan,Hubei, China

2010/06—2013/06 HUST Ph.D.in Epidemiology and Biostatistics Wuhan, Hubei, China

2008/06—2010/06  HUST M.S.in Epidemiology and Biostatistics Wuhan,Hubei, China

2004/06—2008/06 HUST M.D.in nursing Wuhan, Hubei, China

CAREER

2016/11—Present Associate Professor, HUST Wuhan,Hubei, China

2015/06—2016/11 Lecturer,HUST Wuhan,Hubei, China

RESERCH EXPERIENCE

1 Principal Investigator                                       2019/01-2022/12

Title: The association and functional study of genetic variants in FOXA1 pioneer

factors binding sites and breast cancer susceptibility

81874278   National Natural Science Foundation of China

2 Principal Investigator                                       2015/01-2017/12

Title: The association and functional study of genetic variants in FOXA1 pioneer

factors binding sites and breast cancer susceptibility

81402746    National Natural Science Foundation of China

3 Principal Investigator                                       2014/07-2016/07

Title: Genetic variations in a functional receptor for human hepatitis B virus and

susceptibility to HBV infection

2015T80808   the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

4 Principal Investigator                                       2013/07-2015/07

Title: Molecular epidemiology of genetic variants in FoxA pioneer factors binding sites

and hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility

2014M550395   the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

5 Principal Investigator                                       2015/04-2016/12

Title: The low-frequency variants in TGF-β signaling pathway and susceptibility to

colorectal cancer.

2015QN104   HUST

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications 

1. Chang J†, Zhong R†, Tian J†, Li J†, Zhai K, Ke J, Lou J, Chen W, Zhu B, Shen N, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Gong Y, Yang Y, Zou D, Peng X, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Huang K, Wu T, Wu C*, Miao X*, Lin D. Exome-wide analyses identify low-frequency variant in CYP26B1 and additional coding variants associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Nat Genet, 50(3):338-343, 2018. (†co-first author)

2. Zhang Y†, Yang B†, Cheng X, Liu L, Zhu Y, Gong Y, Yang Y, Tian J, Peng X, Zou D, Yang L, Mei S, Wang X, Lou J, Ke J, Li J, Gong J, Chang J, Yuan P*, Zhong R*. Integrative functional genomics identifies regulatory genetic variant modulating RAB31expression and altering susceptibility to breast cancer. Mol Carcinog, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1002/mc.22902. (*Corresponding author)

3. Chang J†, Tian J†, Zhu Y†, Zhong R†, Zhai K, Li J, Ke J, Han Q, Lou J, Chen W, Zhu B, Shen N, Zhang Y, Gong Y, Yang Y, Zou D, Peng X, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Huang K, Yang M, Wang L, Wu C*, Lin D*, Miao X*. Exome-wide analysis identifies three low-frequency missense variants associated with pancreatic cancer risk in Chinese populations. Nat Commun, 9, 3688, 2018. (†co-first author)

4. Chang J†, Tian J†, Yang Y†, Zhong R†, Li J, Zhai K, Ke J, Lou J, Chen W, Zhu B, Shen N, Zhang Y, Gong Y, Zhu Y, Zou D, Peng X, Huang K, Miao X*. A rare missense variant in TCF7L2 associates with colorectal cancer risk by interacting with a GWAS-identified regulatory variant in the MYC enhancer. Cancer Res, 78(17), 5164-5172, 2018. (†co-first author)

5. Li J, Wang Y, Zhu Y, Gong Y, Yang Y, Tian J, Zhang Y, Zou D, Peng X, Ke J, Gong J, Zhong R*, Chang J*. Breast cancer risk-associated variants at 6q25.1 influence risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population. Carcinogenesis 38(4):447-454, 2017. (*Corresponding author)

6. Zhang Y, Li Y, Jiang S, Chen W, Lou J, Ke J, Li J, Zhu Y, Gong Y, Yang Y, Tian J, Peng X, Zou D, Gong J, Chang J, Miao X*, Zhong R*. A functional variant rs4442975 modulating FOXA1-binding affinity does not influence the risk or progression of breast cancer in Chinese Han population. Oncotarget 7(49): 81691-81697, 2016. (*Corresponding author)

7. Chen X, Wu F, Liu Y, Lou J, Zhu B, Zou L, Chen W, Gong J, Wang Y*, Zhong R*. The contribution of serum hepatitis B virus load in the carcinogenesis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: evidence from two meta-analyses. Oncotarget 7(31): 49299-49309, 2016. (*Corresponding author)

8. Chen X, Wang Y, Cheng K, Li J, Lou J, Ke J, Yang Y, Gong Y, Zhu Y, Wang L*, Zhong R*. Genetic variants in the regulatory region of SLC10A1 are not associated with the risk of hepatitis B virus infection and clearance. Infection, Genetics and Evolution 44: 495-500, 2016. (*Corresponding author)

9. Liu C†, Zhong R†, Lou J, Pan A, Tang Y, Chang J, Ke J, Li J, Yuan J, Wang Y, Chen W, Guo H, Wei S, Liang Y, Zhang X, He M, Hu FB, Wu T, Yao P, Miao X (2016) Nighttime sleep duration and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: the Dongfeng-Tongji prospective study. Annals of Medicine, 48(6): 468-476, 2016. (†Co-first authors)

10. Zhong R, Liu L, Zou L, Sheng W, Zhu B, Xiang H, Chen W, Chen J, Rui R, Zheng X, Yin J, Duan S, Yang B, Sun J, Lou J, Xie D, Xu Y, Nie S*, Miao X*. Genetic variations in the TGFbeta signaling pathway, smoking and risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese population. Carcinogenesis, 34(4), 936-942, 2013.

11. Zhong R, Chen X, Zhu B, Lou J, Li J, Shen N, Yang Y, Gong Y, Zhu Y, Yuan J, Xia X*, Miao X*. MAD1L1 Arg558His and MAD2L1 Leu84Met interaction with smoking increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Sci Rep, 5:12202, 2015.

12. Zhu B, Zou L, Qi L, Zhong R*, Miao X*. Allium Vegetables and Garlic Supplements do Not Reduce Risk of Colorectal Cancer, Based on Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol, 12(12), 1991-2001, 2014. (*Corresponding author)

13. Zhong R, Liu L, Tian Y, Wang Y, Tian J, Zhu B, Chen W, Qian J, Zou L, Xiao M, Shen N, Yang H, Lou J, Qiu Q, Ke J, Lu X, Wang Z, Song W, Zhang T, Li H, Wang L*, Miao X*. Genetic variant in SWI/SNF complexes influences hepatocellular carcinoma risk: a new clue for the contribution of chromatin remodeling in carcinogenesis. Sci Rep, 4,  4147, 2014.

14. Zhong R, Liu L, Zou L, Zhu Y, Chen W, Zhu B, Shen N, Rui R, Long L, Ke J, Lu X, Zhang T, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Sun Y, Cheng L, Miao X*. Genetic variations in TERT-CLPTM1L locus are associated with risk of lung cancer in Chinese population. Mol Carcinog, 52 Suppl 1, E118-126, 2013.

15. Zhong R, Yang B, Tang H, Zou L, Song R, Zhu L*, Miao X*. Meta-analysis of the association between DCDC2 polymorphisms and risk of dyslexia. Mol Neurobiol, 47(1), 435-442, 2013.

16. Zhong R†, Tian Y†, Liu L†, Qiu Q, Wang Y, Rui R, Yang B, Duan S Y, Shi J, Miao X*, Wang L*, Li H. HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility gene KIF1B is not associated with development of chronic hepatitis B. PLoS One, 7(2), e28839, 2012.

17. Chen W†, Song H†, Zhong R†, Zhu B, Guo H, Lou J, Shen N, Li J, Chen X, Liu C, Ming J, Huang T*, Miao X*. Risk of GWAS-identified genetic variants for breast cancer in a Chinese population: A multiple interaction analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 142(3), 637-644, 2013. (†Co-first authors)

18. Li J, Zou L, Chen W, Zhu B, Shen N, Ke J, Lou J, Song R, Zhong R*, Miao X*. Dietary mushroom intake may reduce the risk of breast cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis of observational studies. PLoS One 2014;9: e93437. (*Corresponding author)

19. Zhang X†, Zhong R†, Zhang Z, Yuan J, Liu L, Wang Y, Kadlubar S, Feng F, Miao X*. Interaction of cyclooxygenase-2 promoter polymorphisms with helicobacter pylori infection and risk of gastric cancer. Mol Carcinog, 50(11), 876-883, 2011. (†Co-first authors)

20. Zhang X†, Zhong R†, Liu L†, Wang Y, Yuan J, Wang P, Sun C, Zhang Z, Song W, Miao X*. Smoking and cox-2 functional polymorphisms interact to increase the risk of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma in chinese population. PLoS One, 6(7), e21894, 2011. (†Co-first authors)

21. Liu L†, Zhong R†, Zou L, Fu J, Zhu B, Chen W, Ye X, Gao Y, Yang Y, Christiani D. C. Chen S, Miao X. Variants in the 5'-upstream region of GPC5 confer risk of lung cancer in never smokers. Cancer Epidemiol, 38(1):66-72, 2014. (†Co-first authors)

22. Yang J†, Duan S†, Zhong R†, Yin J, Pu J, Ke J, Lu X, Zou L, Zhang H, Zhu Z, Wang D, Xiao H, Guo A, Xia J, Miao X*, Tang S*, Wang G*. Exome sequencing identified nrg3 as a novel susceptible gene of hirschsprung's disease in a Chinese population. Mol Neurobiol, 47(3), 957-966, 2013. (†Co-first authors)

23. Liu L†, Wu J†, Zhong R†, Wu C, Zou L, Yang B, Chen W, Zhu B, Duan S, Yu D, Tan W, Nie S*, Lin D*, Miao X*. Multi-loci analysis reveals the importance of genetic variations in sensitivity of platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer. Mol Carcinog, 52(12), 923-931, 2013. (†Co-first authors)

24.Han W†, Zhou Y†, Zhong R†, Wu C, Song R, Liu L, Zou L, Qiao Y, Zhai K, Chang J, Huang L, Lu X, Lou J, Yu D, Tan W, Zhang J, Wang H*, Miao X*. Functional polymorphisms in fas/fasl system increase the risk of neuroblastoma in chinese population. PLoS One, 8(8), e71656, 2013. (†Co-first authors)