Molecular Biology Program

The Xiaolan Zhao Lab

Xiaolan Zhao, PhD

DNA replication, repair, and damage response, collectively called the 3Rs, support genome stability and faithful genetic inheritance. Proteins involved in the 3Rs are genome guardians that prevent a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from cancers, immunological and neurodegenerative diseases, to developmental disorders such as diabetes and premature aging. Our lab investigates 3R mechanisms, 3R protein functions and structures, and their links to human disease. Our main research interests include:

Mechanisms of genome duplication during growth and under stress conditions that mimics carcinogenic exposure or chemotherapeutic treatment.
DNA repair processes that restore genetic information perturbed by a variety of DNA lesions arising from genotoxic exposures.
The DNA damage response systems that monitor genome lesion burdens and deploy signaling pathways to induce multi-faceted physiological changes, ranging from metabolic and epigenetic changes, cell cycle delays, to chromosomal organization and maintenance adjustments.

To illuminate 3R processes and genome guardian functions, we have implemented cutting-edge and multi-disciplinary approaches, including genetic, biochemical, cell biological, structural, and genomic strategies. Our broad research scope and approaches provide lab members ample opportunities to explore and discover new biological principles. Our lab also offers a nurturing and supportive environment with tailored mentoring and training to advance lab members’ abilities in research, writing, presentation, and leadership.

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Featured News

At Work: Molecular Biologist Xiaolan Zhao

Molecular biologist Xiaolan Zhao explores molecular mechanisms that will help scientists better understand how human cells work.

In the Lab

An illustration of proteins serving as bar-code-reading drones

“Molecular Origami” Enables Proteins to Serve as Specialized Delivery Vehicles, Study Finds

Scientists at the Sloan Kettering Institute have identified a fundamentally new type of protein-sorting system in cells.

In the News

10 Remarkable Basic Science Breakthroughs from 2019

As 2019 comes to an end, take a moment to reflect on the science stories that made the year one to remember.

Publications Highlights

Selected Papers in the Past 5 years

2024

Li Q, Zhang J, Haluska C, Zhang X, Wang L, Liu G, Wang Z, Jin D, Cheng T, Wang H, Tian Y, Wang X, Sun L, Zhao X*, Chen Z*, Wang L* (*co-corresponding authors) Cryo-EM structures of Smc5/6 in multiple states reveal its assembly and functional mechanisms. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 31:1532-1542.

Fan J, Dhingra N, Yang T, Yang V, Zhao X (2024). Srs2 binding to PCNA and its sumoylation contribute to RPA antagonism during the DNA damage response. eLife 13:RP98843.

Zhao R, Xu M, Yu X, Wondisford AR, Lackner RM, Salsman J, Dellaire G, Chenoweth DM, O’Sullivan RJ, Zhao X, Zhang H (2024). SUMO promotes DNA repair protein collaboration to support alternative telomere lengthening in the absence of PML. Genes Dev. 38:614-630.

Fingerman DF, O’Leary DR, Hansen AR, Tran T, Harris BR, DeWeerd RA, Hayer KE, Fan J, Chen E, Tennakoon M, Meroni A, Szeto JH, Devenport J, LaVigne D, Weitzman MD, Shalem O, Bednarski J, Vindigni A, Zhao X, Green AM (2024). The SMC5/6 complex prevents genotoxicity upon APOBEC3A-mediated replication stress. EMBO J. 43:3240-3255

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People

Xiaolan Zhao, PhD

Molecular biologist Xiaolan Zhao studies chromosomal organization, genome integrity, DNA replication and repair, dynamic protein modification.
PhD, Columbia University

zhaox1@mskcc.org: Email Address
212-639-5582: Office Phone

Members

Victoria Miller-Browne
Graduate Student (BCMB)

Tzippora Chwat-Edelstein
Graduate Student (BCMB)

Shibai Li, PhD — Shibai Li
Senior Research Scientist

Zhongqing Ren — Zhongqing (Warren) Ren
Research Scholar

Lab Alumni

Gemma Regan-Mochrie — Gemma L. Regan-Mochrie
Former Graduate Student

Jeff Chen — Yu-Huang (Jeffrey) Chen
Former Graduate Student

Beccy Lever — Rebecca Lever
Research Fellow

Nalini Dhingra
Former Senior Research Scientist

Inn Chung, PhD — Inn Chung
Former Research Fellow

Catherine Cremona
Former Postdoctoral Fellow

Milica Arneric
Former Postdoctoral Fellow

Vladimir Yong-Gonzalez
Former Postdoctoral Fellow

Sapphire Perera
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Emily Chen

Former Undergraduate Researcher

Vicki Yang
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Tammy Yang
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Silva Baburyan
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Nisma Hussein
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Jeannette Huaman
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Dennis Lysov
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Yoona Lee
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Daniel Liu
Former High School Researcher

Justin Li

Former High School Researcher

Emily Seto
Former High School Researcher

Ryan Zhang
Former High School Researcher

Jason Ding

Former High School Researcher

Jennifer Guo
Former High School Researcher

Lab Affiliations

Achievements

Bressler Scholar, Alfred W. Bressler Scholar Endowment Fund
Research Scholar, American Cancer Society
Scholar, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Discovery of the extensive SUMO-based DNA damage response
Discovery of the connection between the nuclear pore complex and desumoylation

Discovery of the Smc5/6 complex in budding yeast
Discovery of the essential function of the DNA replication and damage checkpoint

Lab News & Events

Upcoming event

Explore DNA Supercoiling in Chromatin Organization and Genome Dynamics

Saturday, March 15, 2025 - 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Rockefeller Research Laboratories
430 East 67th Street
Room RRL-116
New York, NY 10065

Accolades

Team Recognitions

Congratulations to Sophia for receiving the GSK Olayan Fellowship (2024)!
Cheers to Warren who received the SternBerg Thesis Award (2024)!
Kudos to Tzippora who was awarded an NIH F31 Fellowship (2024)!
Congratulations to Tzippora who was awarded the Kravis WiSE fellowship!
Congrats to Cory who was awarded an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship and Best Photo Award from Postdoc Association in 2023 & 2024!
Cheers to Tzippora! She received honorable mention for the NSF grant
Victoria won Faculty Choice for best poster award at the BCMB Retreat in 2023 and People's Choice in 2022! Great Job!
Congrats to our lab for being awarded the following grants: BRIA (2023), CER (2022), Geoffrey Beene (2021)

Lab fun and activities

Open Positions

To learn more about available postdoctoral opportunities, please visit our Career Center

To learn more about compensation and benefits for postdoctoral researchers at MSK, please visit Resources for Postdocs

Postdoctoral, Graduate Student, & Technician Positions

Positions are available for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and technicians in the research group of Dr. Xiaolan Zhao.

Apply now

Get in Touch

zhaox1@mskcc.org

Lab Head Email
212-639-5582

Office Phone
212-639-5579

Lab Phone
646-422-2062

Lab Fax

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Xiaolan Zhao discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

Fusion Conferences
Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
Gordon Research Conferences
Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)

Keystone Symposia
Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at ecoi@mskcc.org.

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