Zhi Qiang Yao, MD, PhD

Zhi Qiang Yao, MD, PhD

Division Chief | Research Division
Professor | Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Disease
Director | Center of Excellence for HIV/AIDS, ETSU Quillen College of Medicine
Director | HIV and Hepatitis (HCV/HBV) Program, James H Quillen VAMC

VA Building 6, Room 205
423.439.2102

Graduate: MD, Fourth Military Medical University, China, 1985; PhD Fourth Military Medical University, China, 1991, Infectious Disease
Fellowships: Hepatology, AASLD/Schering , 2001; Infectious Diseases, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 2008
Board Certifications: American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and Infectious Disease
Special Areas of Interest: T cell regulation and antiviral therapy; HIV, HBV, HCV infection

Brief Bio

Zhi (John) Yao, MD, PhD holds the Dishner Chair of Excellence at East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City. He also directs the HIV and Hepatitis (HCV/HBV) Program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee. Prior to joining the faculty in the Department of Internal Medicines Division of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Yao served on the faculty at the University of Virginias School of Medicine and was a Senior Fellow at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Dr. Yao earned his medical degree and his Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases from his native institute in China. Prior to moving to the U.S. in 1998, he was Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief for the Division of Infectious Diseases at Tangdu Hospital in Xian, China. He also was a visiting scholar in the Department of Hepatology at the Katholike University of Leuven in Belgium.

Dr. Yao's research interests are in infectious diseases in general, and HIV/HBV/HCV in particular. He currently serves as principal investigator of multiple NIH-, VA-, DoD-funded studies designed to further understand how certain genetic factors impact the immunologic and virologic responses during medical treatment for the virus. His goal is to develop new antiviral agents that can better treat the disease. Dr. Yao was recognized for his work in 2012 when he was awarded the Quillen College of Medicine Dean’s Distinguished Research Award in Clinical Science and East Tennessee State University President's Distinguished Faculty Award for Research.

Author of more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Yao has served as an expert reviewer for several NIH and VA grant programs, and is a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.