Zach studied biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State (’06), and then pursued an MD/PhD at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina (’14). At Duke, Zach earned his PhD under the mentorship of Professor Hai Yan on research in the Tisch Brain Tumor Center revolving around gliomas and cancer-associated mutations in IDH1, TERT, PPM1D, ATRX, and several other very interesting genes.  In the Beroukhim Lab and under Dr. Bandopadhayay’s co-mentorship, Zach studied transcriptional heterogeneity in pediatric low-grade gliomas and also studied PPM1D mutations as oncogenic drivers in DIPG. Zach started his own laboratory at Duke University in the summer of 2019.

Fun fact: When he is not pipetting or fielding pages, Zach enjoys cycling, hiking, microbrewed beer, and Penn State and Philadelphia Eagles football. He likes spending time with his fiancée Denise and their two cats, Wink and Arya.

Favorite quote: “Ma, The Meatloaf!” –Will Ferrell, Wedding Crashers