Na Zhao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Positions
- Assistant Professor
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Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
- Research Member
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Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, United States
- Faculty Member
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Cancer and Cell Biology Program
Addresses
- Baylor College of Medicine (Office)
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Baylor College of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
na.zhao@bcm.edu
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine
- 03/2022 - Houston, Texas, United States
- Postdoctoral Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine
- 12/2017 - Houston, Texas, United States
- PhD from Sun Yat-sen University
- 07/2015 - Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- BSc from Sun Yat-sen University
- 07/2010 - Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Honors & Awards
- NCI Transition Career Development Award (K22)
- NCI (06/2026 - 05/2029)
- Komen Career Catalyst Research Award
- Susan G. Komen Foundation (12/2025 - 11/2028)
- Mary Kay Ash Foundation Cancer Research Award
- Mary Kay Ash Foundation (09/2025 - 08/2027)
- METAvivor Early Career Investigator Award
- METAvivor (04/2026 - 03/2028)
- SPORE Career Enhancement Award
- NCI/BCM Breast Cancer SPORE (07/2024 - 06/2025)
Professional Interests
- Breast cancer; Translational regulation; RNA biology; Tumor immunology;
Professional Statement
Cancer cells don't just carry mutations; they change the rules of how messages become proteins. This process, called translational regulation, is one of the most underexplored layers of cancer biology. Our lab asks: how do tumors rewire this machinery, and can we exploit it to develop new treatments? We currently focus on breast cancer, with a particular emphasis on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the most aggressive subtypes with the fewest therapeutic options. Our work has already helped move a therapy into a clinical trial, and we're just getting started.
Selected Publications
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Zhao N, Li S, Wang R, Xiao M, Meng Y, Zeng C, Fang JH, Yang J, Zhuang SM. " Expression of microRNA-195 is transactivated by Sp1 but inhibited by histone deacetylase 3 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. " BBA-Gene Regul Mech. 2016 ; 1859 (7)
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Zhao N, Wang R, Zhou L, Zhu Y, Gong J, Zhuang SM. " MicroRNA-26b suppresses the NF-κB signaling and enhances the chemosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting TAK1 and TAB3. " Mol Cancer. 2014 ; 13 (1)
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Zhao N, Cao J, Xu L, Tang Q, ..., Rosen JM, Lewis MT, Chen X. " Pharmacological targeting of MYC-regulated IRE1/XBP1 pathway suppresses MYC-driven breast cancer. " J Clin Invest. 2018 ; 128 (4)
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Zhao N, Kabotyanski E, Saltzman A, Malovannaya A, Yuan X, Reineke L, Lieu N, Gao Y, Pedroza D, Calderon S, Smith A, Hamor C, Safari K, Savage S, Zhang B, Zhou J, Soto L, Hilsenbeck S, Fan C, Perou C, Rosen JM. " Targeting EIF4A triggers an interferon response to synergize with chemotherapy and suppress triple-negative breast cancer. " J Clin Invest. 2023 ; 133 (24)
Pubmed PMID: 37874652.
Memberships
- Metastasis Research Society
- Member (04/2026)
Funding
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Targeting the RNA helicase eIF4A to enhance anti-tumor immunity
#CA296173-01A1 - Grant funding from NCI K22
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Targeting eIF4A to Combat Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
#CCR251360281 - (12/22/2025 - 12/21/2028)
- Grant funding from Komen CCR
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New Therapy Against Established Metastatic Breast Cancer
#02-25 - (09/01/2025 - 08/31/2027)
- Grant funding from Mary Kay Ash Foundation
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Targeting ElF4A to Treat TNBC Liver Metastasis
- (04/14/2026 - 04/13/2028)
- Grant funding from METAvivor
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