Zhang, Irene

By Michael Hilleary | March 25, 2021

 

 

Irene Zhang, MD, MPH

Portrait photo of Dr. Irene Zhang

Hometown:

Guilford, CT -> Las Vegas, NV

Undergraduate School:

Princeton University

Graduate School:

University of Washington School of Public Health

Medical School:

Harvard Medical School

Bio:

I grew up in New England, and moved to the Pacific Northwest for surgery residency. I was drawn to medicine and then surgery for the ability to make a direct impact on patients, though I am also interested in how to improve our health system in broader ways. During research years, I worked on health services and decision science research under the mentorship of Dr. Flum and Dr. Liao at the Surgical Outcomes Research Center (SORCE). I love our program and Seattle, which have led me to new adventures including backpacking, stand-up paddle boarding, and pickle ball!

Personal Interests:

Hiking, all things water (in the summer), skiing, cooking — and eating, coffee, and spending time with friends, my partner Elliott and our cat Lena

Clinical Interests:

Surgical oncology, endocrine surgery, MIS/foregut, general surgery

Professional Activities:

Surgical Outcomes Research Center (SORCE) T32 Fellowship
UW REACH Committee
UW “The Forum” Resident-Faculty Mentorship Initiative
UW Surgery Residents Women’s Council
UW Opioid Stewardship Committee
American College of Surgeons
Association of Women Surgeons
American Association of Endocrine Surgeons

Why UW?

UW struck me as a progressive and well-rounded academic surgery program with a breadth of faculty, training sites and learning opportunities. I remember being very impressed with the people here, including the faculty and senior residents, who were as accomplished as they were down to earth. Seattle is also a beautiful, wonderful city, and a great personal fit. I’m grateful to be able to train here.

What advice do you have for incoming interns?

At any point, there are people around or just a phone call away who can help. If in any doubt, call! Also, scout out the coffee early — sometimes it’s free.

What do you like best about living in Seattle?

I like that Seattle brings together city life and an incredible outdoors (that’s enjoyable all year round).

Publications:

  1. Guise AJ, Greco TM, Zhang IY, Yu F, Cristea IM. Aurora B-dependent regulation of class IIa histone deacetylases by mitotic nuclear localization signal phosphorylation. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. 2012 Nov;11(11):1220-9.
  2. Zhang IY, Zhao J, Fernandez-del Castillo C, Braun Y, Razmdjou S, Warshaw AL, Lillemoe KD, Ferrone CR. Operative versus nonoperative management of nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. 2016 Feb;20(2):277-83.
  3. Villani V, Mahadevan KK, Ligorio M, Fernandez-del Castillo C, Ting DT, Sabbatino F, Zhang IY, Vangel M, Ferrone S, Warshaw AL, Lillemoe KD, Wargo J, Deshpande V, Ferrone CR. Phosphorylated histone H3 (PHH3) is a superior proliferation marker for prognosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2016 Dec;23(Suppl 5):609-617.
  4. Zhang IY, Thomas M, Stewart BT, Curtis E, Blayney C, Mandell SP, Sohn VY, Pham TN. Validation of a low-cost simulation strategy for burn escharotomy training. Injury. 2020 Sep;51(9):2059-2065.
  5. Zhang IY, Norwitz D, Drewnowski A, Agrawal N, Flum DR, Liao JM. Applying behavioral nudges in a dietary comparator for surgical trials: developing the MediDiet. Journal of Surgical Research. 2022 Jul 31;279:540-547.
  6. Zhang IY, Flum DR, Agrawal N, Liao JM. Effects of opioid addiction risk information on Americans’ agreement with postoperative opioid minimization and perceptions of quality. Healthcare. 2022;10(2): 100629.
  7. Zhang IY, Wong ES, Rosen JE, Gordon DB, Flum DR, Liao JM. Association between statewide Medicaid opioid policy and postoperative opioid prescribing among surgeons at a large safety-net hospital. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. In press.
  8. Lyons VH, Haviland MJ, Zhang IY, Whiteside LK, Arbabi S, Vavilala MS, Curatolo M, Rivara FP, Rowhani-Rahbar A. Long-term prescription opioid use following injury in Washington State 2015-2018. Journal of Emergency Medicine. In press.
  9. Zhang IY, Liao JM. Incorporating emotions into clinical decision-making solutions. Healthcare. 2021 Sep;9(3):100569. 
  10. Zhang IY, Liao JM. Applying behavioral science insights to medical management strategies: the role of validation testing. Healthcare. 2021 Dec;9(4):100582.