Dr. Shijun Zhang is currently a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and the Graduate Program Director in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Dr. Zhang also serve as the Board Member of Alzheimer’s Associate Greater Richmond Chapter. He received his BS in Pharmacy and MS in Medicinal Chemistry in 1993 and 1996 from Shandong Medical University, respectively. In 2000, he moved to the United States and received his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences from Wayne State University in 2004. After his postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota with Professor Portoghese, he joined the School of Pharmacy, VCU as a faculty where he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure and to Professor. The research in Dr. Zhang’s group is focused on rational small molecule design for neurodegenerative diseases and inflammatory disease, particularly focusing on Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. Another area that his research group has actively engaged is the design of chemical probes into understanding the dysfunctions of inflammasomes and mitochondria in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.