Meet the Team
We’re tackling aging one pipette, one compound, one protein, and one much-needed cup of coffee, at a time.
Our Values
At the Lei Justan Zhang Lab, we are guided by the following principles:
“做好人，做好事，做好学问”
Be a good person, do good work, do good science.
Though we are made of stardust, we are also made of dreams.
— Attributed to Carl Sagan
Lei Justan Zhang, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator | Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences
College of Pharmacy
University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Education
Ph.D. in Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
B.E. in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology
Awards
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2023 San Antonio Nathan Shock Center Pilot Grant
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2022 Carol Schutz Travel Award from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
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2022 Austin Bloch Post-Doctoral Fellow Award from GSA
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2022 Poster Pitch Award from the American Aging Association
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2022 Career Development Award from the Postdoc Association at the University of Minnesota
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2021 George Sacher Student Award from GSA
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2021 Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization Poster Award from GSA
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2021 Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research
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2020 Travel Award from the American Aging Association
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2012 The First Prize of Excellent Thesis in MedChem, Shanghai Pharmaceutical Association, China
Dr. Zhang earned his PhD in Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he focused on organic chemistry and drug discovery for type 2 diabetes. He expanded into biology during his first postdoc training at the University of Colorado, where he worked on Toll-like receptors and innate immunity. During this time, he developed a deep passion for aging research, as he came to recognize aging as the greatest risk factor and root cause of many chronic and complex diseases. Motivated by this realization, he pursued a second postdoctoral fellowship in aging research in the lab of Dr. Paul Robbins at the Scripps Research Institute, which later relocated to the University of Minnesota to establish the aging research center. There, he was promoted to Research Assistant Professor and served as the Manager of the Drug Discovery Core. His work focused on identifying and developing senotherapeutics, drugs that selectively target senescent cells, through drug screening, drug design, and machine learning. He also investigated age-associated signaling pathways through both genetic and pharmacological approaches.
Dr. Zhang brings a uniquely interdisciplinary background across chemistry, biology, and computational science. At the University of Georgia, his lab focuses on geroscience-guided drug discovery aimed at developing therapeutic interventions that target key hallmarks of aging, such as cellular senescence, chronic inflammation, and genomic instability, with the goal of extending healthspan and promoting healthy longevity.
When he’s not trying to solve the mysteries of aging, he enjoys hiking, cooking, fishing, science fiction, and treadmill running with his cats, unofficial longevity trial participants (currently n = 3).
Brian Fetsko
Lab Manager & Lab Professional
After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a BS in Biology, Brian worked for several years as a research associate in the OSU College of Pharmacy, where he gained experience in cell culture, murine in vivo studies, and lab management. As a lab pro, his focus in the Zhang Lab is on establishing a high-throughput senotherapeutic drug screening protocol.
Helaina Ludwig, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Helaina earned her BS in Biology and Master of Public Health from Georgia Southern University, followed by a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Georgia. With a strong foundation in toxicology and molecular biology, she brings extensive experience working across a range of topics—from parasites to plants to rodents.
Now in the Zhang Lab, Helaina is focused on learning and contributing to research on pharmacological approaches and therapeutic targets that modulate aging processes and promote healthier aging.
Her long-term goal is not just to conduct research for the sake of research, but to make meaningful contributions that improve the lives of both humans and animals.
Partha Koundinya Panguluri
PhD Student
Partha is from the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. He is currently a PhD student majoring in Bioinformatics. He earned his master’s degree in Data Science from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to that, he completed his bachelor’s in Electronics and Communication Engineering at SRM University, AP, India. He was introduced to mechanistic modelling techniques during his bachelor’s, where he worked on target–drug therapy for skin cancer using Boolean systems. Over the course of his master’s program, he developed a deep appreciation for solving complex biological problems using data-driven statistical learning approaches.
At the Zhang Lab at UGA, he works at the intersection of data science, computational science and drug discovery. His interdisciplinary research leverages machine learning techniques and other AI frameworks for the development of novel gerotherapeutics. For his PhD, he looks forward to gaining significant conceptual and experimental proficiency in ageing biology while further enhancing his dry-lab skills.
A few of his extracurricular interests include playing acoustic guitar, swimming, and occasionally smashing the badminton racket!
Qianqian Peng
PhD Student
Qianqian Peng is a PhD student in PBS program. She received her Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Southern California and completed her undergraduate studies in Ohio State University. Her previous work focused on investigating the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia, particularly FLT3-ITD–driven resistance and the functional roles of CD99 isoforms. At the Zhang Lab, her research focuses on uncovering molecular mechanisms in senolytics and exploring how senolytic approaches might be applied to breast cancer to help improve treatment responses.
Outside the lab, she enjoys snowboarding and playing video games.
Gwyneth Lim
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Gwyneth Lim currently studies at the University of Georgia, majoring in biology and premed track. She first became interested in research when examining Demodex blepharitis and studying applications to alleviate symptoms, presenting her abstract and research poster at Emory and ARVO on the in-vitro comparison of the main medications prescribed for Demodex. Now at the Zhang Lab, she hopes to learn and contribute to investigating pharmacological approaches to aging and cancer through targeting senescent cells.
Outside of research, Gwyneth works as a Chemistry Learning Assistant and volunteers around the community; however, she also indulges in playing video games with friends and napping.
Daeho Kwa
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Daeho Kwak is a third-year undergraduate at UGA studying biology. Working in this lab, he aims to help contribute to research on senescence and related cancer treatment. In his free time, he enjoys playing badminton as part of the UGA competitive team and League of Legends.
Vincent Mach
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a fourth-year biomedical physiology student on the pre-med track. In the lab, I am studying senescent cells and their implications on age-related diseases. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing pickleball and exploring new restaurants.
Arlene Hwang
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I’m a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Biology. I’m on the pre-med track and hope to pursue a career in ophthalmology or anesthesiology. I have a broad interest in biomedical research and developing my laboratory skills. Outside of academics, I have been studying piano for 15 years and actively participate in recitals and competitions.
Yes, it's YOU!
Next-Gen Age-Fighter
Curious about aging, and want to do something about it?
We're on a mission to unravel its secrets and discover ways to fight back.
Join us in the lab, where bold ideas, real experiments, and better aging begin.
Grab a lab coat or a laptop, and let’s turn back the clock.
We’re making aging less… aged.
The world’s getting older. We’re doing something about it.
Because aging won’t wait, and neither should we.
Yes, it's YOU!
Next-Gen Age-Fighter
Curious about aging, and want to do something about it?
We're on a mission to unravel its secrets and discover ways to fight back.
Join us in the lab, where bold ideas, real experiments, and better aging begin.
Grab a lab coat or a laptop, and let’s turn back the clock.
We’re making aging less… aged.
The world’s getting older. We’re doing something about it.
Because aging won’t wait, and neither should we.
Joely Zhang
Chief Morale Officer
Yes, it’s HIM!
Loves treadmill cardio, birdwatching, and deep philosophical naps.
Part-time lab mascot, full-time mischief agent.
Occasionally thinks outside the (litter) box... to my dismay.
Bringing curiosity (and fur) to the frontlines of aging research.
Learn more at https://www.tiktok.com/@runjoelyrun