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.

View Lab Overview

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

Monday, August 12, 2019

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

Monday, December 16, 2019

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

Publications

Peng XP, Zhao X. (2023). The multi-functional Smc5/6 complex in genome protection and disease. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.30(6):724-34.

Meng X, Claussin C, Regan-Mochrie G, Whitehouse I, Zhao X. (2023). Balancing act of a leading strand DNA polymerase-specific domain and its exonuclease domain promotes genome-wide sister replication fork symmetry. Genes Dev. 37(3-4):74-79

Chang JT, Li S, Beckwitt E, Than T, Haluska C, Chandanani J, O’Donnell ME, Zhao X*, Liu S* (*co-corresponding authors) (2022) Smc5/6’s multi-faceted DNA binding capacities stabilize branched DNA structures. Nat Commun 13:7179

Regan-Mochrie G, Hoggard T, Bhagwat N, Lynch G, Hunter N, Remus D, Fox C, Zhao X (2022) Yeast ORC sumoylation status fine-tunes origin licensing. Genes Dev. 36:807-821

Yu Y, Li S, Ser Z, Kuang H, Than T, Guan D, Zhao X*, Patel DJ. (*co-corresponding author) (2022). Cryo-EM structure of DNA-bound Smc5/6 reveals DNA clamping enabled by multi-subunit conformational changes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Jun 7;119(23):e2202799119. Epub 2022 Jun 1. PubMed PMID: 35648833.

View All Publications

People

Xiaolan Zhao, PhD

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

[email protected]: Email Address
212-639-5582: Office Phone

Members

Shibai Li, PhD — Shibai Li
Senior Research Scientist

Nicole Clerico-Benn
SKI Senior Admin Assistant

Tzippora Chwat-Edelstein
Graduate Student (BCMB)

Beccy Lever — Rebecca Lever
Research Fellow

Victoria Miller-Browne
Graduate Student (BCMB)

Jian Zheng

Graduate Student (BCMB)

Lab Alumni

Yu-Huang (Jeffrey) Chen
Former Graduate Student

Nalini Dhingra
Former Senior Research Scientist

Gemma Regan-Mochrie — Gemma L. Regan-Mochrie
Research Fellow at University of Birmingham in Birmingham, UK

Catherine Cremona
Former Postdoctoral Fellow

Inn Chung, PhD — Inn Chung
Former Research Fellow

Milica Arneric
Former Postdoctoral Fellow

Vladimir Yong-Gonzalez
Former Postdoctoral Fellow

Xianpeng Liu

Former Postdoctoral Fellow

Jeannette Huaman
Former Summer Research Intern

Silva Baburyan
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Jennifer Guo

Former Undergraduate Researcher

Nisma Hussein

Former Undergraduate Researcher

Daniel Liu

Former Summer Research Intern

Dennis Lysov
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Tammy Yang
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Vicki Yang
Former Undergraduate Researcher

Lab Affiliations

Achievements

Bressler Scholar, Alfred W. Bressler Scholar Endowment Fund (2007-2010)
Research Scholar, American Cancer Society (2012-2016)
Scholar, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (2013-2018)
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

Tweets by @@ZhaoLab_SKI

Accolades

Team Recognitions

Shibai and Jake’s paper on the functions of a sumoylation cofactor is out in Genes Dev (2021).
Bingbing started his own lab at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Michael’s new lab is not far from Bingbing’s lab in the same University!
Congrats to Michael and Wei for their work on POLe that synthesizes half of our body’s DNA (Nat Commun 2020).
We welcome new Research Scholars, Jiayi and Thane.
Congrats to Nalini for winning 2020 Kravis Women in Science Endeavor grant!
A shout out to Danying who won best Oral Presentation at 2020 ABRC conference.
Bingbing’s structural paper on a genome maintenance hub is out in Mol Cell, 2019.
Read up our reviews on SUMO-based controls in Genes Dev, 2019 and Mol Cell. 2018.
Congrats to Silva for winning the 2021 Jonas E Salk Scholarship!

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

[email protected]

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:

Cold Spring Harbor Asia
Provision of Services (uncompensated)

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Provision of Services (uncompensated)

The information published here 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, 2021 through disclosure submission in spring 2022). 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 [email protected].

View all disclosures