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Sean Xiang Zhang

Sean Xiang Zhang, MD, PhD

Highlights

Languages

  • English

Gender

Male

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About Sean Xiang Zhang

Professional Titles

  • Director of Medical Mycology Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Hospital

Primary Academic Title

Associate Professor of Pathology

Background

Dr. Sean Zhang is an Associate Professor of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He specializes in Medical Microbiology, with particular focus on the diagnosis of fungal diseases.

Dr. Zhang holds an M.D. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (formerly Shanghai Second Medical University) in China and a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Turku in Finland. He completed a clinical fellowship in Medical Microbiology at the University of Toronto in Canada.

Research Interests

Laboratory Diagnostics of Fungal Diseases

Research Summary

Developing new diagnostic tools for rapid and early diagnosis of invasive fungal infections. These include identifying fungal pathogens from FFPE tissue blocks, fungal antigen assays, host-driven response assays, multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing to rapidly identify fungal pathogens directly from clinical samples. I am also interested in studying identification and characterization of new emerging fungal pathogens, the role of fungal pathogens in cystic fibrosis patients, and antifungal drug resistance.

Selected Publications

  • Zhang SX, Babady NE, Hanson KE, Harrington AT, Larkin PMK, Leal SM Jr, Luethy PM, Martin IW, Pancholi P, Procop GW, Riedel S, Seyedmousavi S, Sullivan KV, Walsh TJ, Lockhart SR; Fungal Diagnostics Laboratories Consortium (FDLC). Recognition of Diagnostic Gaps for Laboratory Diagnosis of Fungal Diseases: Expert Opinion from the Fungal Diagnostics Laboratories Consortium (FDLC). J Clin Microbiol. 2021 Jun 18;59(7):e0178420. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01784-20. Epub 2021 Jun 18. PMID: 33504591; PMCID: PMC8218742

  • Zhang SX, Carroll KC, Lewis S, Totten M, Mead P, Samuel L, Steed LL, Nolte FS, Thornberg A, Reid JL, Whitfield NN, Babady NE. Multicenter Evaluation of a PCR-Based Digital Microfluidics and Electrochemical Detection System for the Rapid Identification of 15 Fungal Pathogens Directly from Positive Blood Cultures. J Clin Microbiol. 2020 Apr 23;58(5):e02096-19. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02096-19. PMID: 32075904; PMCID: PMC7180249

  • Liu B, Totten M, Nematollahi S, Datta K, Memon W, Marimuthu S, Wolf LA, Carroll KC, Zhang SX. Development and Evaluation of a Fully Automated Molecular Assay Targeting the Mitochondrial Small Subunit rRNA Gene for the Detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Specimens. J Mol Diagn. 2020 Dec;22(12):1482-1493. doi: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2020.10.003. Epub 2020 Oct 15. Erratum in: J Mol Diagn. 2021 Apr;23(4):506. PMID: 33069878

  • White M, Adams L, Phan C, Erdag G, Totten M, Lee R, Lu X, Mehta S, Miller LS, Zhang SX. Disseminated sporotrichosis following iatrogenic immunosuppression for suspected pyoderma gangrenosum. Lancet Infect Dis. 2019 Nov;19(11):e385-e391. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30421-9. Epub 2019 Aug 28. Erratum in: Lancet Infect Dis. 2019 Nov;19(11):e370. PMID: 31473127

  • Wu Y, Grossman N, Totten M, Memon W, Fitzgerald A, Ying C, Zhang SX. Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles and Drug Resistance Mechanisms of Clinical Lomentospora prolificans Isolates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020 Oct 20;64(11):e00318-20. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00318-20. PMID: 32816726; PMCID: PMC7577128

Honors

Thomas J. Walsh Young Investigator Award, Medical Mycology Society of Americas

Memberships

  • American Society for Microbiology
  • Medical Mycological Society of the Americas
  • International Society for Human and Animal Mycology

Additional Training

American Board of Medical Microbiology

Locations

  1. The Johns Hopkins Hospital
    • 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21287

    Expertise

    Education

    University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine

    Fellowship, Medical Microbiology, 2007

    University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine

    Residency, Immunology, 2004

    University of Turku College of Medicine

    Graduate School, PhD, 2001

    Shanghai Second Medical University

    Medical Education, MD, 1993

    Board Certifications

    Medical Microbiology

    American Board of Medical Microbiology, 2009