Dr. Zhang graduated from Biology, Zhongshan University and late received his PhD degree from Karolinska Institute, Sweden in 1997. He finished his postdoctoral fellowship training in the Department of Pathology, University of Toronto in 2003. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology University of Western Ontario. He is also a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute. His laboratory is at the Matthew Mailing Centre for Translational Transplant Studies, London Health Sciences Centre. His research interest is focused on the mechanisms of tolerance. He and his colleagues have identified a novel type of regulatory T cells, TCRαβ+CD3+CD4-CD8- (double negative, DN-Treg) cells, that can suppress immune responses and prolong graft survival. Recently, Dr. Zhang and colleagues were the first to describe the contribution of necroptosis, a newly discovered programmed cell death type, to transplant injury and rejection, and is a key therapeutic target that be used to prevent transplant injury and induce a long term graft survival. Currently, there are two areas under active investigation in his laboratory: i) the mechanism of cell death pathways-mediated tissue injury, and ii) the role of NK and regulatory T cells in immune tolerance. The goal is to dissect the roles of innate immunity and Treg cells during the development of immune tolerance. His research is supported by CIHR, CNTRP, KFOC and HSF of Canada.