HAN ZHU LAB
Stanford Translational Cardio-Oncology Program
Stanford Cardiovascular Institute (CVI)
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
HAN ZHU LAB
Mission Statement
The Han Zhu Lab is dedicated to understanding immune-mediated diseases of the heart and developing therapies that make modern cancer treatment safer for patients. Our work focuses on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis and related inflammatory cardiovascular diseases, which can limit access to life-saving cancer immunotherapy. We study how immune cells, stromal cells, and tissue-specific signaling networks interact to drive cardiac inflammation, while preserving the anti-tumor immune responses critical for cancer control.
Our research integrates human patient biospecimens, translational multi-omics, and mechanistic experimental models to define disease pathogenesis and identify therapeutic targets. We use single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, TCR sequencing, CyTOF, plasma cell-free RNA profiling, iPSC-based human cardiac models, and mouse models of inflammatory heart disease to investigate immune cell crosstalk and tissue injury at high resolution. Current areas of focus include antigen-specific T cell responses, macrophage–fibroblast signaling networks, and chemokine pathways such as the CXCR3-CXCL9/10 axis.
The lab collaborates closely with investigators across the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford Cancer Institute, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and Division of Oncology to translate mechanistic discoveries into biomarker-driven and tumor-conscious therapeutic strategies for patients with cardiovascular inflammatory disease.
123-456-7890
CONTACT US
240 Pasteur Drive, Biomedical Innovations Building, Rm 3500, Stanford University, Palo Alto, 94034
Philanthropy Makes Discovery Possible
Philanthropic support plays a critical role in advancing the work of the Han Zhu Lab and Stanford Translational Cardio-Oncology Program. Flexible funding allows us to pursue innovative, high-impact research projects, rapidly generate preliminary data for new therapies and biomarkers, support early-career trainees and physician-scientists, and expand translational patient-focused initiatives that may not yet qualify for traditional federal funding. Donor support also helps strengthen connections between research and clinical care, accelerating our ability to bring discoveries from the laboratory to patients with inflammatory cardiovascular disease and cancer therapy-related heart complications.