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Qiang (Johnson) Zhang, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology

Introduction

Dr. Qiang (Johnson) Zhang is a neurologist and neuroscientist who specializes in treating and diagnosing patients with movement disorders, including those with Lewy Body dementia/Parkinson's disease dementia. Dr. Zhang was trained with Nobel Laureate Dr. Stanley Prusiner, and his current research focuses on cholinergic circuitry in neurodegenerative diseases, and glycolysis in Alzheimer’s disease and its related dementias (ADRD).

Current Positions

  • Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology

Education

  • Residency: Clinical Neuroscientist Training Program in Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
  • Fellowship: Movement Disorder Fellowship, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa

Center, Program and Institute Affiliations

Research Interests

  • Movement Disorders, Lewy Body dementia/Parkinson's disease dementia, cholinergic circuitry in neurodegenerative diseases and glycolysis in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
  • Synucleinopathy
  • Prions

Licenses & Certifications

  • Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Iowa
  • State Medical License, Iowa Board of Medicine

Selected Publications

  • Hart A, Aldridge GM, Zhang Q, Narayanan NS, Simmering JE. Lower risk of dementia with Lewy bodies among users of glycolysis enhancing drugs in a new user, active comparator design. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.05.23299455.
  • Weber MA, de Choisy G, Thangavel R, Conlon MM, Abdelmotilib HA, Halhouli O, Zhang Q, Geerling JC, Narayanan NS, Aldridge GM. Alpha-synuclein pre-formed fibrils injected into prefrontal cortex primarily impact cortical and subcortical structures and lead to restricted behavioral impacts. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Feb 3:2023.01.31.526365. doi: 10.1101/2023.01.31.526365. PMID: 36778400; PMCID: PMC9915664.
  • Weber MA, Sivakumar K, Tabakovic EE, Oya M, Aldridge GM, Zhang Q, Simmering JE, Narayanan NS. 2023. Glycolysis-enhancing α1-adrenergic antagonists modify cognitive symptoms related to Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 9(1):32. PMID: 36864060 PMCID: PMC9981768
  • Larson T, Khadelwal V, Weber MA, Leidinger MR, Meyerholz DK, Narayanan NS* and Zhang Q*. 2022. Mice expressing P301S mutant human tau have deficits in interval timing. Behavioural Brain Research. 432:113967 PMID: 35718229 PMCID: PMC9585768. *Corresponding author
  • Zhang Q*, Schultz J, Aldridge G, Simmering J, Kim Y, Ogilvie A, Narayanan NS*. 2021. COVID-19 case fatality and Alzheimer’s disease. In press. J. Alzheimer’s disease. 2021 Oct 20. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.3233/JAD-215161. PMID: 34690147. *Corresponding author
  • Zhang, Q., Abdelmotilib, H., Larson, T., Keomanivong, C., Conlon, M., Aldridge, G. M. & Narayanan, N. S. (null). Cortical alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils do not affect interval timing in mice. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.10.443485.
  • Zhang, Q, Aldridge, G.M., Narayanan, N.S. et al. 2020. Approach to Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease. Neurotherapeutics. 17:1495-1510. doi: 10.1007/s13311-020-00963-x. PMID: 33205381. PMCID: PMC7851260.
  • Zhang, Q., Schultz, J. L., Aldridge, G. M., Simmering, J. E. & Narayanan, N. S. (2020). Coronavirus Disease 201
    9 Case Fatality and Parkinson's Disease.     Movement Disorders 35 (11) 1914-1915. DOI: 10.1002/mds.28325.
  • Zhang Q, Jung D, Larson T, Kim YC, Narayanan NS. 2019. Scopolamine and medial frontal stimulus-processing during interval timing.  Neuroscience. 414:219-227. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.07.004. PMID: 31299344. PMCID: PMC7040457.
  • Zhang, Q., Descamps, O., Hart, M. J., Poksay, K. S., Spilman, P., Kane, D. J., Gorostiza, O., John, V. & Bredesen, D. E. (2014). Paradoxical effect of TrkA inhibition in Alzheimer's disease models. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 40 (3) 605-617. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-130017. PMID: 24531152. PMCID: PMC4091737.