University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · PharmacologyZhu Lab
Guizhi Zhu · Ann Arbor, Michigan
Research Focus
Dr. Guizhi Zhu's lab at the University of Michigan focuses on developing advanced vaccines for treating melanoma, a severe form of skin cancer. The lab is innovating small circular mRNA vaccines that enhance immune responses against tumors. Their aim is to improve the effectiveness of existing melanoma immunotherapies by providing a longer-lasting and more robust immune reaction to cancer cells.
mRNA vaccinesmelanomacancer immunotherapyimmunotherapycircular RNAT cell immunityvaccine developmentantitumor responses
Research Aims
4AIM 01Develop stable multivalent small circular mRNA vaccines for melanoma treatment.
AIM 02Enhance immune response and T cell activation against melanoma tumors.
AIM 03Investigate the molecular mechanisms of circRNA vaccines in eliciting immunity.
AIM 04Evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of these vaccines in preclinical models.
Skills the Lab Values
mRNA vaccine designcell culturein vivo mouse modelsimmunological assaysnanoparticle formulationgene expression analysisimmunohistochemistrybioinformaticsPCRflow cytometry
Output against the department
Publications145bottom 41% of dept.272nd of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations16ktop 23% of dept.107th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.