We are proud to support the development of bright, young ALS researchers through our Milton Safenowitz Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Established in memory of Milton Safenowitz by the Safenowitz family, this impactful program has encouraged early career scientists to enter and, importantly, remain in the ALS field for the last 20 years. Today, we are shining a spotlight on one of our current fellows, Sitao Zhang, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California San Diego.
When it comes to finding new treatments and cures for ALS, it’s not just a professional goal for Dr. Zhang—it’s also a deeply personal one.
“I am from a big family that many of my grandfather’s generation have had neurodegenerative diseases before they passed,” he explained. “I still remember when I was super young, my grandpa on my father’s side got paralysis and eventually dementia within five years before he passed. At that time in China, we knew nothing about ALS, but as I became educated, I knew it was typical of ALS or FTD [frontotemporal dementia].”
This growing understanding of the disease and what it could mean for him and his family compelled Dr. Zhang to dedicate his career to learning more about its causes so he could help develop better ALS treatments.
Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D. in biophysics and biochemistry at Peking University in China before setting his sights on joining the San Diego, California-based lab of Dr. Don Cleveland for his postdoctoral training. He specifically wanted to work in the Cleveland Lab because he was inspired by the group’s contributions to ALS research and therapy development.
Dr. Zhang's Ph.D. mentor, Dr. Xiaodong Wang, was very enthusiastic about Dr. Zhang starting his postdoctoral career at the University of California San Diego. "It is going to be a perfect match to join Dr. Cleveland's lab as a biochemist! You will make a milestone discovery if you could decipher the pathological mechanisms, given that this great lab is at the cutting edge of discovery in this field," Dr. Zhang remembers his mentor saying.
Central to Dr. Zhang’s research is a protein called TDP-43 that is thought to play a role in nearly all ALS cases. Even though TDP-43 has been studied for nearly two decades, exactly how it contributes to ALS development and progression remains unclear. Dr. Zhang wants to change that.
“By standing on the shoulders of all the scientists in this field, I hope to take advantage of my biochemistry background and contribute more to understanding the mechanism of how TDP-43 mislocalization, modification, and aggregation is induced by ALS and how to reduce abnormal TDP-43 to block disease progression,” he said.
His research has already identified at least four unique changes ALS-affected brain cells make to TDP-43. These are referred to as post-translational modifications or PTMs. In the future, these specific PTMs could be used to create new tests that could assist with ALS diagnosis or be used as targets for new ALS therapies.
Even when he’s not in the lab, thoughts of ALS are never far from Dr. Zhang’s mind. Even his favorite pastime—bodybuilding—has roots in his family history.
"Maybe having more muscle could buy me some time if I found myself at the early stage of ALS or another neurodegenerative disease," he joked. "But actually, going to the gym every day has already become my lifestyle to face difficulties and try my best to fight against them."
As he continues to strive for “a brighter future” for his family and for all people living with ALS, Dr. Zhang is grateful to not be tackling these big scientific questions alone.
“The whole community is growing, and every year, even every month, new progress in this field inspires others,” he said. “Let’s fight together—and we will win!”
If you would like to receive monthly ALS research updates, SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter, Research Matters.
To continue to follow stories about people living with ALS in the community and learn more about the disease, subscribe to receive our weekly blogs in your inbox HERE or follow us at als.org/blog.
Join the conversation. Please comment below.