Dr. Yan Zhu currently serves as a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Biological Sciences at St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. John's University. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School-University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and previously received her M.S. and B.S. from Wuhan University, China. Prior to her current appointment, she worked as an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University, where she built extensive experience in cancer biology and molecular biochemistry. Furthermore, she has been recognized for her contributions to cancer research and has received institutional funding to support her ongoing investigations. Her current research interests mainly include the biological function and molecular mechanisms of the p53–Mdm2 pathway, with a focus on its role in cell growth control and tumour suppression, as well as the development of novel cancer therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway.