Lab Members

Allan Tsung, MD, is a surgical oncologist who specializes in evaluating and managing the care of patients with liver, bile duct, and pancreatic cancer. An expert in laparoscopic and robotic surgery techniques, his goal is to provide innovative treatments, so patients recover faster than with traditional surgery. As a child, Dr. Tsung lost his father to cancer. This motivated him to devote his career to fighting cancer. “The treatments back then were unable to cure my father of his disease,” he says. “That was unacceptable to me and has fueled my career to always look for novel and personalized treatment options for all of my patients battling cancer.” He adds, “I am both a surgeon and scientist. As a surgeon, it’s important to know what questions need to be answered to better treat our cancer patients. And as a scientist, my role is to study and gain new knowledge needed to answer those questions. “Through research, we have improved the outcomes of patients with cancer. But there is a lot of work yet to be done to ensure that no one dies of this disease.”

As a cancer immunologist, my research revolves around understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment in various oncologic disease processes, such as colorectal cancer and liver cancer; and providing novel strategies for prevention and cure, especially the role of inflammatory responses with treatments such as immune therapy.

I am a current biology undergraduate researcher planning to apply to medical school. I am majoring in Biology with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. I am interested in the interactions between the immune system and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis. By investigating the B cell responses in NASH, I hope to better understand the condition.

Kaelyn Cummins, MD is a general surgery resident at the University of Virginia working in the Tsung/Zhang lab. She is originally from Maryland but received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine before coming back to the East Coast. She is studying the interaction of immune therapies with the tumor microenvironment, disparities in surgical outcomes, and the genetic basis of common surgical diseases. She is also working towards a master’s degree in clinical research.

Arad Jain is a member of the UVA School of Medicine Class of 2027 and former UVA graduate who had previously conducted research in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Arad joined the Tsung-Zhang lab in 2024, studying the effect of pre-operative exercise on liver metastasis of colorectal cancer, the immune microenvironment in metabolic-associated steatohepatitis, and the effects of exercise in prevention of age related immune dysregulation. He is interested in pursuing an academic surgical career.

Campbell is a fourth-year undergraduate at UVA pursuing a degree in biochemistry. Since joining the lab in the Spring of 2024, he has worked on projects involving neutrophil extracellular traps as well as exercise in tumor immunology. He is interested in pursuing a career in pediatric surgery

Susan is a general surgery resident in the first year of her post-doctoral research fellowship in the Tsung/Zhang lab. She received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in clinical research. Her research in the Tsung/Zhang lab focuses on the interaction between neutrophil extracellular traps and tumor microenvironments in metastatic cancers as well as socioeconomic disparities in cancer outcomes. She additionally works with Dr. Witt on clinical outcomes research.  

Xinghua Liao serves as the laboratory manager for the Tsung Research Group, contributing her wealth of experience and expertise in laboratory management, research methods, and administration. She plays a vital role in the team, overseeing daily lab operations, facilitating lab growth, and implementing innovative strategies to streamline workflow within the group. 

Mohamad El Moheb, MD is a general surgery resident at the University of Virginia. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the American University of Beirut. He then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he focused on developing interpretable AI models in Surgery. Dr. El Moheb is currently in his first year of research in the lab and is pursuing a master’s degree in data science. His research focuses on studying the genetic basis of cancer and developing AI applications in surgical practices. 

Janice Oh is a medical student at UVA in the class of 2027 who spent the summer following her first year working in the Tsung-Zhang lab studying the effects of preoperative exercise on liver metastases and resistance mechanisms of colorectal cancer. She is interested in pursuing a career in surgical oncology.

Kristin Putman is a UVA medical student in the class of 2027 who has worked in Tsung-Zhang lab during the summer studying how length of stay is impacted by clinical variables in hepatectomy using multiple machine learning techniques. She is interested in pursuing general surgery and continuing to use her data science background in clinical research.

My research expertise spans biostatistics, bioinformatics, and biological studies related to vascular disease, kidney diseases, infectious diseases, cancers, and surgical outcomes. I have collaborated closely with biological researchers and clinical investigators from diverse Departments of Surgery, engaging in study design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and grant applications. My contributions have been integral to multiple grants funded by NCI, DoD, NIAID, and AHRQ.  

Sophia is a rising fourth year undergraduate and a Biology and Spanish major. Outside of the lab, she is involved in VISAS volunteering, the University Judiciary Committee, Partners in Public Health, and the Genomics Society. 

Dr. Yiyu Zhang is a research scientist in the Tsung/Zhang lab. He earned his PhD from Southern Methodist University, where he investigated neuroinflammation and apoptosis in neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. Following his PhD, Dr. Zhang completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics at the University of Virginia. His postdoctoral research focused on developing and utilizing genetically encoded fluorescent and bioluminescent sensors to study various diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and diabetes. In 2024, he joined the Tsung/Zhang lab, where he now concentrates on exploring the role of immune cells in the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Dr. Yunwei Zhang is a dedicated and accomplished medical professional with a diverse background in healthcare and is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab. He earned his MD degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.  Dr. Yunwei Zhang has an extensive experience in immunology and molecular biology research. He has come to the University of Virginia for his Postdoctoral Fellowship and dedicated his full attention to liver inflammation and tumor research. Dr. Zhang’s commitment to advancing medical science and his passion for improving patient outcomes make him an invaluable asset to the team.