Dr Run Zhang

Senior Research Fellow

Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
r.zhang@uq.edu.au
+61 7 334 63806

Overview

  • 2023-now Joint Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (CNFS, QAAFI)
  • 2022-now Senior Research Fellow, AIBN, The University of Queensland
  • 2020-now NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, AIBN, The University of Queensland
  • 2017-2019 ARC DECRA Fellow, AIBN, The University of Queensland
  • 2016-2017 Research Associate, AIBN, The University of Queensland
  • 2013-2015 Macquarie University Research Fellow (MQRF), Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science (CBMS), Macquarie University
  • 2012-2013 Postdoc Research Fellow, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University
  • July 2012 PhD, Analytical Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology (DLUT), China

Research Team: Dr Zhang is now leading more than 15 researchers, working on the development of responsive molecules/nanomaterials for biosensing and imaging, early disease detection and treatment, food/agricultural/environmental analysis. He has collaborations with scientist in Chemistry, Materials Science, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture Science, and Biophotonics from Australia, US, UK, Sweden, India, Russia and China.

Research Support: Since 2011, Dr Zhang has attracted 9 research grants (> 2 million) as chief investigator (lead CI and/or co-CI). These grants include 3 Fellowship (NHMRC Emerging Leadership, ARC DECRA and MQRF to develop responsive probes for redox biomarkers detection within body), 1 NHMRC Project grant in redox quantification in liver cancer chemotherapy, 1 UQ ECR grant, 1 NSFC grant, and another 3 grants from universities.

Research Output: Dr Zhang has published more than 170 research papers since his first publication in 2010 (>85 papers published as first and/or corresponding author), and 1 patent. He frequently publishes in a number of premier journals, such as Nature Photonics, Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Science, Small, Biomaterials, ACS Nano, Analytical Chemistry, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, and Accounts of Chemical Research. These publications have received more than 7000 citations with an H-index of 49.

Service: Dr Zhang is an Editor, Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of several international high impact journals, such as TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry (Elsevier), Chemistry-An Asian Journal (Wiley), Nanoscale Advances (RSC), and Methods (Elsevier). He is a referee of ~80 international journals (2nd most contributions of all UQ researchers, with >20 awards from RSC and Elsevier journals), and grant assessor for more than 10 country and regions, such as Australia, UK, Europe, Netherland, New Zealand.

Award: Dr Zhang's national and international standing in the fields of chemistry (analytical and inorganic) and functional nanomaterials is evidenced by the awards of ACS Rising Star in Measurement Science, NJC Emerging Investigator, Biosensors Young Investigator Award, IAAM Scientist Medal, Vebleo Fellow, IAAM Fellow, ARC DECRA, NHMRC EL Fellow, MQRF, and more than 20 TOP Outstanding Reviewer awards from RSC and Elsevier. He has been a World's Top 2% Scientist in Chemistry and Nanoscience & Nanotechnology since 2022. He has delivered more than 30 invited presentations and keynotes.

Dr Zhang has a strong commitment to training students. His students have received several awards, such as 4 "Dean’s Commendation for Outstanding Academic Performance", 1 "Dean’s Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Research", 1 "Dean's Award for Outstanding HDR Theses", ANFF-Q students award, 3MT Runner-UP and People's Choice. His teaching contributions in Faculty of Science, UQ are recognised by two nominations of "Dean’s Commendation for Excellent Teaching Awards" in semesters 1 and 2 in 2022.

Research Interests

  • Responsive probes to detect and visualise highly reactive biomolecules
    design and synthesis of organic/organometallic complexes (including Ru(II) and Ir(III) complexes and lanthanide chelate) for sensing of bioactive ions, reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), redox biomolecules, gasotransmitters, amino acid, and proteins in various diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases.
  • Functional nanomaterial for early diseases diagnosis and treatment
    engineering of functional nanomaterials for disease detection and treatment through monitoring and regulation of redox state, including photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) for diseases deeply seated in body.
  • Sensors for the detection of food quality & safety and environmental pollutants
    development of ultra-sensitive sensors for the detection of food additives, antibiotics, pesticides, spoilage, heavy metals, toxic anions and gases (greenhouse gases and VOCs), etc.
  • Bionanoprobes for deep tissue sensing and imaging
    fabrication of responsive nanomaterials for sensing and imaging of biomarkers located deeply inside the body. The probes allow the monitoring of specific disease-related biomarkers through optical, acoustic, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
  • Time-gated luminescence bioassay
    development of novel luminescent probes with long emission lifetime to eliminate autofluorescence, allowing background-free sensing and bioimaging.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy of Engineering, Dalian University of Technology

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Available Projects

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Roberts, Michael S., Barkauskas, Deborah, Wang, Haolu, Liu, Xin, Studier, Hauke, Pastore, Michael, Zhang, Run, Holmes, Amy, Grice, Jeffrey E., Xu, Zhiping, Mohammed, Yousuf S. and Liang, Xiaowen (2020). Multiphoton and FLIM imaging in quantifying ex vivo and in vivo body organ kinetics of solutes. Multiphoton Microscopy in the Biomedical Sciences, San Francisco, CA United States, 2-4 February 2020. Bellingham, WA United States: SPIE. doi: 10.1117/12.2546058

  • Zhang, Run, Yu, Bo-Wei, Wang, Fei and Du, Yan-Jun (2018). Leaching Properties of Heavy Metals in a Phosphate-Based Binder Stabilized Contaminated Soil. 4th GeoShanghai International Conference on Geoenvironment and Geohazard, Shanghai Peoples R China, May 27-30, 2018. SINGAPORE: SPRINGER-VERLAG SINGAPORE PTE LTD. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-0128-5_50

  • Wang, Haolu, Jayachandran, Aparna, Gravot, Germain, Liang, Xiaowen, Thorling, Camilla A., Zhang, Run, Liu, Xin and Roberts, Michael S. (2017). In vivo quantitative visualization of hypochlorous acid in the liver using a novel selective two-photon fluorescent probe. SPIE BioPhotonics Australasia Conference, Adelaide,SA, Australia, 17 - 19 October 2016. Bellingham, WA, United States: S P I E - International Society for Optical Engineering. doi: 10.1117/12.2242978

  • Zhao, Jiangbo, Zheng, Xianlin, Schartner, Erik P., Ionescu, Paul, Zhang, Run, Nguyen, Tich-Lam, Jin, Dayong and Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Heike (2016). Upconversion nanocrystals doped glass: a new paradigm for integrated optical glass. Photonics and Fiber Technology , Sydney, Australia, 5–8 September 2016. Washington, DC, United States: OSA. doi: 10.1364/acoft.2016.am5c.7

  • Zhang, Peng, Ruan, Shuai, Zhang, Run, Pullen, Benjamin, Zhang, Xiaozhou, Purdey, Malcolm Stuart, Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Heike, Abell, Andrew, Ding, Liyun, Tang, Ming and Ruan, Yinlan (2014). Nitric oxide sensitive optic fiber sensor based on immobilized ruthenium(II) complex. Asia-Pacific Optical Sensors Conference, APOS 2016, Shanghai China, 11-14 October 2016. Washington, DC United States: OSA - The Optical Society. doi: 10.1364/APOS.2016.W3A.5

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.