Donna Zhang

Environmental Oxidative Stressors Causing Skin Damage and Carcinogenesis Investigators

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is the active oxidizing principle released by standard swimming pool disinfectants used on a global scale, but the health consequences of human exposure inflicted by HOCl (referred to as ‘chlorination stress’) remain largely unknown, posing a major public health concern relevant to populations around the world. Moreover, environmental exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a causative factor in skin photocarcinogenesis. In an ongoing R21 research project funded by NIEHS since April 2019 (1R21ES029579), Dr. Wondrak, in collaboration with Dr.

Nothing gets Donna Zhang more excited than unlocking medical mysteries

Pilot studies examining cinnamon-based Nrf2 activation targeting arsenic-impairment of skin wound healing

The Pilot Project was designed to generate strong preliminary experimental evidence in human skin reconstructs and mouse skin to confirm the feasibility of cutaneous Nrf2 upregulation using topical cinnamaldehyde (CA) and to support CA-based suppression of photocarcinogenesis in a SKH1-Nrf2 wild type mouse model. Data indicate that CA causes a Keap1-C151-dependent increase in the Nrf2 half-life via blockage of ubiquitination with upregulation of a broad panel of cytoprotective Nrf2 target genes and elevation of cellular glutathione.

Oxidative Stress and Redox Dysregulation

UA Pharmacy Professor Receives 2 NIH Grants of More than $3 Million to Study Arsenic

(UAHS News) Donna Zhang, PhD, professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, is the principal investigator on two new R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health that will provide more than $3 million for her research.

UA Researcher Receives More Than $3 Million in Funding for Her Research

University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Researchers Discover Molecular Component of Cinnamon Prevents Colorectal Cancer in Mice

Research conducted at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and the UA Cancer Center indicates that a compound derived from cinnamon is a potent inhibitor of colorectal cancer.