Zongchao Han, MD, PhD

Dr. Zongchao Han’s research focuses on the use of nanotechnologies and biomaterials to develop safe and effective gene and drug therapies for the limiting of effects of retinal blinding diseases. Dr. Han is trained in neuroscience with specialty in viral and non-viral biomaterials-mediated gene and drug therapies. His focus, for over fifteen years, has been hereditary retinal and macular degenerations, where he has played a leadership position in this field. He has served as a mentor at UNC Medical Student Research, the BBSP PhD program, and has supervised undergraduate and graduate students, visiting scholars, postdocs, research associates, lab assistants, and research assistant professor within his laboratory. In the past five years, two of his lab postdocs were selected for the UNC Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence in the 2017-2018 and 2020-2021 academic years (five winners each year), respectively. Two of his lab members were awarded a two-year postdoc fellowship from Pfizer-NCBiotech Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship in Gene Therapy (GTF) program, as well as from this BrightFocus Foundation Macular Degeneration Research Award.