Welcome!

Pei Zhang, Postdoctoral Fellow at NCI/DCEG, NIH

I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics (DCEG), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), mentored by Dr. Paul S. Albert and Dr. Jianxin Shi.

My research develops statistical and computational methods for longitudinal and correlated data, with applications to genetics, genomics, and cancer epidemiology. I primarily focus on approaches for characterizing genetic effects and heritability of longitudinal phenotypes, with applications to prostate cancer risk stratification and early detection.

My research sits at the intersection of statistics and public health. I am broadly interested in developing state-of-the-art statistical methods while asking scientifically meaningful questions about the etiology of human diseases. My work has been published in leading journals across statistics and the life sciences, including Biostatistics, Annals of Applied Statistics, Advanced Science, and Journal of Nutrition.

I earned my Ph.D. in Statistics from the Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) (2025). I was very fortunate to be advised by Dr. Doron Levy and Dr. Paul S. Albert and co-mentored by Dr. Jianxin Shi and Dr. Hyokyoung G. Hong through the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program, where I was recognized with the NIH Outstanding Graduate Research Award.

This site includes information about my research and educational activities. I invite you to contact me if you would like to discuss statistics and science.

Research Interests
  • Longitudinal & correlated data methodology
  • Statistical genetics & genomics (EHR, RWD, PLCO, All of Us, UK Biobank)
  • Machine learning in cancer epidemiology
  • Nutritional epidemiology & metabolomics
News
Honors
Email: pei.zhang@nih.gov
Office: 9609 Medical Center Dr, Room 7E614, Rockville, MD 20850, USA

Research

Research Interests

Longitudinal & correlated data methodologyRepeated-measures analysis, biomarker studies, and complex dependent data structures.
Statistical & computational methods in genetics and genomicsElectronic health records (EHR), real-world data (RWD), and large-scale population studies (e.g., PLCO Cancer Screening Trial) — prostate cancer risk stratification, early detection, and prediction.
Statistical & machine learning in epidemiologyCancer genetic epidemiology, nutritional epidemiology, and metabolomics.

Publications

* corresponding author  † co-first / equal contribution  ‡ alphabetical order

Methodological / Statistical Papers

1Estimating the heritability of longitudinal rate-of-change: Genetic insights into PSA velocity in prostate cancer-free individuals
Zhang, Pei, X. Wang, Shi, Jianxin*, and Albert, Paul S.*
Biostatistics, 2026 (In Press)  ·  arXiv preprint
2Mixed modeling approach for characterizing the genetic effects in a longitudinal phenotype
Zhang, Pei, Albert, Paul S.*, and Hong, Hyokyoung G.*
Annals of Applied Statistics, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 2070–2087, 2025  ·  PDF

Collaborative / Applied Papers

1Homoisoflavanone delays colorectal cancer progression via DNA damage-induced mitochondrial apoptosis and parthanatos-like cell death
H. Fan, H. Zhao, Zhang, Pei, P. Yu, Y. Ji, G. Chen, H. Jin, Y. Liu, J. Liu, Z.-S. Chen, Lyu, Aiping*, Liang, Xinmiao*, and Chen, Yang*
Advanced Science, e11406, 2026  ·  PDF
1CCN1 enhances tumor immunosuppression through collagen-mediated chemokine secretion in pancreatic cancer
H. Fan, H. Zhao, L. Gao, Y. Dong, Zhang, Pei, P. Yu, Y. Ji, Z.-S. Chen, X. Liang, and Chen, Yang*
Advanced Science, e2500589, 2025  ·  PDF
3Performance of a food frequency questionnaire for estimating ultraprocessed food intake according to the NOVA classification system in the United States NIH-AARP diet and health study
Loftfield, Erikka†*, Zhang, Pei†, C. P. O'Connell, L. L. Kahle, K. Herrick, L. Abar, N. Khandpur, E. M. Steele, and H. G. Hong
Journal of Nutrition, vol. 155, no. 7, pp. 2376–2384, 2025  ·  PDF
4GPR35 acts a dual role and therapeutic target in inflammation
Wu, Yetian†, Zhang, Pei†, H. Fan, C. Zhang, P. Yu, X. Liang, and Chen, Yang*
Frontiers in Immunology, vol. 14, no. 1254446, 2023  ·  PDF

Preprints / Under Review

1Metabolomic profile score for predicting serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) levels
Lim, Jungeun*, Zhang, Pei, J. Rhee, M. C. Playdon, A. J. Cross, R. Stolzenberg-Solomon, V. L. Roger, M. P. Purdue, Albanes, Demetrius*, Hong, Hyokyoung G.*, and Wong, Jason Y. Y.*
Under review at International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2026

Software

Heritability-Velocity — Author & Maintainer
Reproducible framework for joint estimation of static and dynamic heritability in longitudinal phenotypes.
GitHub  ·  arXiv
PLCO — Author & Maintainer
Mixed-effects modeling framework for PSA trajectories in large-scale prostate cancer screening studies.
GitHub  ·  Paper
AARP — Author & Maintainer
Measurement error models for bias correction in food frequency questionnaire–based dietary intake assessment.
GitHub  ·  Paper

Teaching

Experience

Fall 2019
Sampling Theory (STAT440)Grader · University of Maryland, College Park
Spring 2020
Introduction to Linear Algebra (MATH240)Teaching Assistant · University of Maryland, College Park
Summer 2020
Introduction to Mathematical Proof (MATH310)Grader · University of Maryland, College Park
Fall 2020 – Spring 2021
Elementary Probability and Statistics (STAT100)Teaching Assistant · University of Maryland, College Park
Spring 2015 – 2016
Calculus IITeaching Assistant · University of Science and Technology of China
Fall 2016 – 2017
Mathematics TeacherNO.1 Middle School Affiliated to Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China

CV

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Links

Gallery

Commencement
Commencement Ceremony with primary mentors Paul S. Albert (left) and Doron Levy (right), May 21, 2025
Dissertation Defense
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense with committee members, Feb 4, 2025
Skiing at Vail
First skiing at Vail Ski Resort, Colorado, Feb 2024
Yellowstone
Hiking at Yellowstone National Park, July 2025