Education & Postdoctoral Training
1994.9-1999.7 B.S. Medicine Health Science Center, Peking University
1999.9-2004.7 M.D. Internal Medicine Health Science Center, Peking University
2008.11-2010.5 MPH Public Health Harvard School of Public Health
01/2000-02/2003 Resident Internal Medicine Peking University First Hospital
01/2004-12/2004 Clinical Fellow Nephrology Peking University First Hospital
01/2004-03/2005 Research Fellow Nephrology Peking University First Hospital
06/2008-05/2010 Research Fellow Nephrology Public health Harvard School of Public Health,Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Academic Appointment
08/2011-08/2017 Associate Professor of Peking University, Beijing, China
09/2017- Professor of Peking University, Beijing, China
Hospital Appointment
03/2003-06/2004 Chief Resident of Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
07/2004-05/2008 Attending Physician of Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
05/2010-08/2016 Clinical Associate Professor of Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
08/2016- Clinical Professor of Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
Major Administrative Responsibilities
11/2016-08/2017 Executive Deputy Director, Peking University, Center for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Beijing, China
04/2018-01/2021 Assistant Dean, National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University, Beijing, China
01/2021- Deputy Dean, National Institute of Health Data Science
Major Committee Assignments
12/2017- Vice President, Commission of Health Data Science and Digital Health, China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Health
09/2014- Vice President, Beijing Young Nephrologist Association
01/2017- Steering Committee, CKD Prognosis Consortium
04/2016-04/2018 Member of the Planning Committee, “Change in Albuminuria and GFR as End Points for Clinical Trials in Early Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease” Workshop (sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation, in partnership the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency)
Editorial Board
04/2014- Editorial board member, American Journal of Kidney Disease
01/2010- Ad hoc reviewer for British Medical Journal, Lancet Digital Health, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Kidney International, American Journal of Kidney Disease, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, and Nephrology.
Major Awards and Honors
2009 New Century Talent Supporting Project by Ministry of Education, China
2012 Award for Outstanding Young Investigator in Xicheng District; Beijing, China
2015 Chinese Science and Technology Award for Preventive Medicine, Second Prize
2016 Young Investigator in Chinese Society of Nephrology; Chonging, China
Invited International Presentations
2006 Estimation of glomerular filtration rate – practice in China / Plenary Talk 7th Annual General Meeting of Hong Kong Society of Clinical Chemistry, Hong Kong, China
2008 Chronic kidney disease in China/Plenary Talk 11th Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology
2013 New Findings from CKD cohort studies from China/Plenary Talk ISN World Congress of Nephrology 2013
2013 Phosphate-binder in CKD: When to initiate therapy/Plenary Talk 7th Meeting of the Asian Forum of CKD initiative
2015 Prevalence and Incidence of Renal Disease in China 2015 World Congress of Nephrology Satellite Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa
2015 Status of Renal Disease Prevention in China 16th Asian Renal Association-Asian Nephrology Conference, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2017 Integrated Health Care Policies 2017 ISN World Congress of Nephrology, Mexico
2018 Hospital-Based CKD Surveillance in China ASN Kidney Week 2018, San Diego
2019 CKD care in China: Challenges and opportunities in country of 1 billion people 2019 ISN World Congress of Nephrology, Melbourne
Narrative Report of Research Contributions
My researches focused on the burden, management and medical resources allocation of non-communicable chronic diseases (especially for kidney disease) in China and worldwide, by leveraging the power of big data, artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies as well. The synergy between my training in nephrology and in epidemiology has produced a strong interest in “population-level strategy”. Much of my work has provide first-hand evidence of kidney disease and other major diseases in China, and examined existing beliefs, often motivating important changes in policy making, clinical practice and understanding.
Starting from 2004, our team has initiated studies regarding the prevalence, risk factors, intervention and management of kidney disease in China, and has produced solid evidence in the area. In 2012, based on a nation-wide survey, we reported the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in China was 10.8% in Lancet (2012; 379:815-822), which drew attention of health authorities in China and included kidney disease into public health service. In 2016, we described that diabetic kidney disease has outnumbered glomerulonephritis and became the major cause of kidney disease in China, which was published in N Engl J Med (2016; 375:905-6). Furthermore, our team were able to generated two editions of scientific report of kidney disease in China, which were published in top kidney journals and were submitted to National Commission of Health of China as the evidence for policy-making. Based on those databases, we have also expanded our research into other major diseases including hypertension and diabetes. During the last three years, I have been closely collaborated with data scientists in China, European and United States, focusing on leveraging the power of big data, artificial intelligence and block chain to improve the estimation of medical resources allocation and health policies. Based on my expertise, I was invited by BMJ (2018; 360:j5910) to discuss about big data in China and its application in medical research.
Highlight publications
1.Zhang L, Wang F, Wang L, et al. Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in china: A cross-sectional survey. Lancet. 2012;379:815-822
2.Zhang L, Long J, Jiang W, Shi Y, He X, Zhou Z, Li Y, Yeung RO, Wang J, Matsushita K, Coresh J, Zhao MH, Wang H. Trends in Chronic Kidney Disease in China. N Engl J Med. 2016 Sep 1;375(9):905-6
3.Zhang L, Wang H, Li Q, Zhao MH, Zhan QM. Big data and medical research in China. BMJ. 2018 Feb 5;360:j5910
4.Zhang L, Zhao M-H, Zuo L, Wang Y, Yu F, Zhang H, Wang H, CK-NET Work Group. China Kidney Disease Network (CK-NET) 2016 Annual Data Report. Kidney Int Suppl (2011) 2020 Dec;10(2):e97-e185.
5.Zhang L, Zhao MH, Zuo L, et al., for the CK-NET Work Group, China Kidney Disease Network (CK-NET) 2015 Annual Data Report. Kidney Int Suppl. 2019 Feb;9:e1-e81
6.Zhang L, Wang H, Long J, Shi Y, Bai K, Jiang W, He X, Zhou Z, Wang J, Wang F, Huang JF, Zhao M. China Kidney Disease Network (CK-NET) 2014 Annual Data Report. Am J Kidney Dis. 2017 Jun;69(6S2):A4
Other Publications
1.Zhang L, Curhan GC, Forman JP. Diet-dependent net acid load and risk of incident hypertension in united states women. Hypertension. 2009;54:751-755
2.Zhang L, Wang H. Chronic kidney disease epidemic: Cost and health care implications in china. Semin Nephrol. 2009;29:483-486