PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name: Qinjian Zhao
Gender: Male
Position: Distinguished Professor
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: zhaoqinjian@cqmu.edu.cn；qinjianzhao@gmail.com
Address: 1 Yixueyuan Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, P.R.China
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
Ph.D. in Biochemistry, 1993, M.Sc., 1991, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 20064
Master of Medicine (1989) and B.Sc. (1986) both in Medicinal Chemistry,
Beijing Medical University (Now Medical Science Center of Peking Univ.), Beijing, 100083, China
WORKING EXPERIENCE
1993-1997: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences and Dept. of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
1997- 2000: Senior Research Biochemist, Bioprocess and Bioanalytical Research, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486.
2000 –2004: Research Fellow, Merck Res. Lab -Merck & Co.
2004 –2005: Senior Research Fellow, Merck Res. Lab -Merck & Co.
2005- 2007: Senior Investigator, Merck Res. Lab -Merck & Co.
2007 –2011: Distinguished Senior Investigator, Merck Res. Lab -Merck & Co.
2011–2015: Distinguished Professor in Biochemistry and Vaccinology, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
2015–2022: Associate Dean of School of Public Health (International Cooperation), Distinguished Professor in Biochemistry and Vaccinology, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
2022- Present: Distinguished professor, College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The long-standing interest of Zhao group is in the immunomodulation using various molecular modalities for novel adjuvant or drug development. Since 1997, Professor Zhao has been engaged in the research and development of biopharmaceuticals and vaccines in Merck, the famous pharmaceutical company. A variety of key and novel research tools and quality control methods have been established in the development and production of vaccines and therapeutic proteins. As a key member, Professor Zhao participated in the whole life cycle of the development of the world 's first cancer vaccine, Gardasil®, and later Gardasil-9. In particular, and the development of some key processes and quality control of products was crucial for product development and manufacturing.
In 2011, Professor Zhao returned to China as a full-time professor and doctoral degree program director of the School of Public Health of Xiamen University. Professor Zhao is mainly engaged in the research of quality analysis of biological macromolecular drugs and development of novel adjuvants. The novel zinc-aluminum hybrid adjuvants and the bisphosphonate-functionalized adjuvants were developed. The use of the novel adjuvants in recombinant novel coronavirus vaccines yielded strong and rapid immune response. One the drug development front, Zhao group has been working of novel immune modulators and their application in disease areas such as autoimmune diseases, anti-infectives, cancers and various skin disorders.
HONOUR & AWARDS
• “Qiu Shi Outstanding Scientific Research Team Award”, Sep 19, 2015, for Use of prokaryotic expression system in recombinant virus-like particle vaccine. (HK Qiu Shi Foundation)
• "Industrial Biotechnology Award", Sept 11, 2006, by Division of Biochemical Technology, American Chemical Society, to the Team for Development of Gardasil, a Quadrivalent vaccine for human papillomavirus" (ACS)
• "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Travel Award", June 23-25, 2015, for MIT-UCL Vaccines Bioprocess Development and Commercialization Workshop, Cambridge, MA. (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
• "China National Talent Program", 2011
• "Fujian Talent Program", 2012
• "Chongqing Talent Program", 2022
• "MRL Key R&D Awards Club" as a Key Contributor, March 2008, for "Pneumoconjugate Vaccine".
• "Outstanding Achievements for Pre-clinical development of long-acting Erythropoietin" , as a Key Contributors for strategic planning and execution of the Analytical Packages for CMC session – Phase I and II IND filing, March 2008
• "Creativity Special Award", Sept 30, 2006, for Glutathione Redox Refolding of HBsAg – led to a separate clinical trial with 400+ patients for improved efficacy (a Patent was issued)
• "Award of Excellence", Sept 8, 2006, facilitating the Integration of GlycoFi and MRL Bioprocess.
• "Award of Excellence", June 16, 2006, facilitating of outsourcing potency assay at CRO for MK-0646
• " Special Award", May 10, 2006, in addressing the questions on Octavalent HPV vaccine IND questions
• "Special Recognition Award" April 21, 2006, Analytical leadership for FIM, Clinical Protocol 01 of MK-0646
• "Award of Excellence", Dec 20, 2005, Key Contributors for "Pre-clinical development (PCD) Organizational Design" for dual career ladders (Bioprocess R & D, MRL)
• "Award of Excellence", August 26, 2005, Bivalent Flu conjugate vaccine A/M2 & HA0/B potency assay development: assay transfer and enabling formulation and release –critical for FIM achievements
• "Special Achievement Award", June 27, 2005, Leader for assay development and transfer in a team setting-critical for human mAB (L805/MK-0646) SA and Phase I production and release
• "Award of Excellence", October 14, 2004, for Key contributions to Quadrivalent HPV BLA filing (Approved in June 2006, as commercialized as Gardasil®)
• "Award of Excellence", September 24, 2004, for Bivalent Flu conjugate vaccine A/M2 & HA0/B potency assay development
• "Special Achievement Award", May 13, 2004, for HPV CTD document for filing-CMC characterization section
PUBLICATIONS
1、 Yanhang Liao, et al, Qinjian Zhao, and Ling-juan Zhang. Modulation of Skin Inflammatory Responses by Aluminum Adjuvant. Pharmaceutics. 2023, 15, 576. DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020576.
2、 Xin Wang, et al, Qinjian Zhao. A prophylactic effect of aluminium-based adjuvants against respiratory viruses via priming local innate immunity. Emerging Microbes & Infections. 2022, 11 (1): 914-925. DOI:10.1080/22221751.2022.2050951.
3、 Meifeng Nie, Yue Liu, Xiaofen Huang, Zhigang Zhang, Qinjian Zhao. Microtiter plate-based differential scanning fluorimetry: a high-throughput method for efficient formulation development. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2022, S0022-3549(22)00212-X. DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2022.05.015.
4、 Yulan Lin, Zhijian Hu, Qinjian Zhao, Haridah Alias, Mahmoud Danaee, Li Ping Wong. Chinese parents' intentions to vaccinate their children against SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine preferences. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 2021, 17(12):4806-4815. DOI:10.1080/21645515.2021.1999143.
5、 Yangtao Wu, et al, Qinjian Zhao, Quan Yuan, Yi Guan, Ningshao Xia. A recombinant spike protein subunit vaccine confers protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in hamsters. Science Translational Medicine. 2021, 13(606):eabg1143. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg1143.
6、 Xiaofen Huang, et al , Qinjian Zhao. Capsid destabilization and epitope alterations of human papillomavirus 18 in the presence of thimerosal. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis. 2021, 11(5):617-627. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2020.08.007.
7、 Xin Wang, Zhiqiang An, Wenxin Luo, Ningshao Xia, Qinjian Zhao. Molecular and functional analysis of monoclonal antibodies in support of biologics development. Protein & Cell. 2017. 9(1):74–85.
8、 Xiao Zhang, et al, Qinjian Zhao. Functional assessment and structural basis of antibody binding to human papillomavirus capsid. Review in Medical Virology, 2016, 26:115-128.
9、 Noni MacDonald, et al, Qinjian Zhao, Ian Jones, Christoph A Steffen, Joachim Hombach, Katherine L O'Brien, Alejandro Cravioto. Global vaccine action plan lessons learned I: Recommendations for the next decade. Vaccine. 2020, 38(33):5364-5371. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.05.003.
10、 Anna Godi, et al, Qinjian Zhao, Ningshao Xia, Neil D Christensen, Simon Beddows. Comprehensive Assessment of the Antigenic Impact of Human Papillomavirus Lineage Variation on Recognition by Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies Raised Against Lineage A Major Capsid Proteins of Vaccine-Related Genotypes. Journal of Virology. 2020, 94(24): e01236-20. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01236-20.
