Dr. Erli Zhang is a well-trained cardiologist and excellent scholar in patient-oriented translational research, particularly on diabetes vascular complications and valvular heart diseases (VHD). His long-term clinical training and research experience supplement him with unique perspectives and strong background in cohort studies, molecular biology, genome editing, and epigenetic research. As a bench scientist, he received rigorous PhD training focusing on the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic factors and long non-coding RNAs promoting the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). As a cardiologist, he participated in several clinical studies investigating prognostic markers and interventional approaches in treating calcified aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). Particularly, he made major contribution in establishing a nationwide platform in the China-DVD study that covers a cohort of 8,227 patients with VHD from 69 medical centers in China.