Image
Biography
Dr. Fang Fang Zhang is a cancer epidemiologist and Chair of the Division of Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science at the Friedman School, where she leads population‑based research on how diet influences cancer prevention, cancer survivorship, and long‑term health outcomes. Her work spans gene–environment interactions, dietary intake patterns, and nutrition‑related risk factors for cancer, including pioneering studies on weight gain, diet quality, and energy expenditure among pediatric survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She also develops and tests innovative nutrition interventions—such as web‑ and mobile‑based programs for families after childhood cancer treatment—and leads major NIH‑ and PCORI‑funded studies evaluating the effectiveness and cost‑effectiveness of population‑level dietary interventions to reduce cancer burden in the United States.
The optimal strategies to improve diet and reduce cancer are not clear. While various individual-level behavior change approaches can be effective for some people, overall benefits and long-term adherence may be modest and overall benefits poorly sustained. In contrast, population strategies can be more powerful and achieve broader impact.
Dr. Zhang received her PhD with distinction in Epidemiology from Columbia University. She directs the course on epidemiology methods for graduate students at Friedman School and School of Medicine and is a recipient of the Eileen O'Neil Citation for Excellence in Teaching. She is also the inaugural recipient of the Miriam E. Nelson Tisch Faculty Fellow from Tufts University.
