Yanan Zhang

Yanan Zhang, Ph.D., leads a program on the discovery and development of medications and/or molecular probes for G protein-coupled receptors. He has more than 15 years of experience in synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Dr. Zhang’s current research applies to drug addiction and pain management, including orexin, cannabinoid and neuropeptide FF (NPFF) receptors. He also collaborates with pharmacology groups and serves as the chemistry lead on several NIH-funded research grants.

Dr. Zhang has published more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, and written several book chapters and patents. He has received a number of awards, including the Early Career Chemist in Drug Addiction Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He is an active member of several professional societies, including College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD), International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) and Society of Neuroscience (SfN). Dr. Zhang currently serves as an editorial board member of Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group).