Biography/Obituary
January 19, 2020
by Natalie L
Dr. Zijian Xie. Ph.D,
passed away on January 17 th , 2020 at the age of 59 after a long and
courageous battle against pancreatic cancer.
Zijian was born on December 27 th , 1960 in Changzhou, China, as the oldest of three siblings. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Nanjing College of Pharmacy in Nanjing, China, in 1982, followed by a Master’s degree in toxicology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing in 1984. He was the first in his family to earn the opportunity to travel to and study in the United States and received his doctorate in pharmacology at the Medical College of Ohio (now University of Toledo) in 1990.
At the University of Toledo, he served as a tenured Professor of Physiology, Pharmacology and Medicine, and co-director of the M.D./Ph.D. program. His laboratory became internationally recognized for its work in elucidating the mechanism of several cellular pathways and their association with renal, heart and vascular disease, and cancer. In 2013, Zijian was recruited to Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia to be the Director of the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR), where he continued his ground-breaking research.
At the time of his passing, he had authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. He also served as the principal investigator or co-investigator on National Institutes of Health-sponsored research totaling over $10 million and international projects totaling more than $1 million in funding. His work also led to several patented applications for medical inventions and spin-off companies. However, throughout his illustrious 30-year career in academia, he most cherished the friendships he formed along the way with hundreds of former colleagues, collaborators, students, and staff.
Zijian is survived by his wife of 35 years, Yahong, and their children, Joe and Jeff. His
immediate family also includes his mother, Liu Yan Qing, his sisters Min Min and Yong Hong,
and his nephews and niece, Xiao Liang, Li Xin, and Xin Rui. He will be deeply missed by all.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 1st, 2020. Further details on the event location and time can be found on this website.
courageous battle against pancreatic cancer.
Zijian was born on December 27 th , 1960 in Changzhou, China, as the oldest of three siblings. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Nanjing College of Pharmacy in Nanjing, China, in 1982, followed by a Master’s degree in toxicology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing in 1984. He was the first in his family to earn the opportunity to travel to and study in the United States and received his doctorate in pharmacology at the Medical College of Ohio (now University of Toledo) in 1990.
At the University of Toledo, he served as a tenured Professor of Physiology, Pharmacology and Medicine, and co-director of the M.D./Ph.D. program. His laboratory became internationally recognized for its work in elucidating the mechanism of several cellular pathways and their association with renal, heart and vascular disease, and cancer. In 2013, Zijian was recruited to Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia to be the Director of the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR), where he continued his ground-breaking research.
At the time of his passing, he had authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters. He also served as the principal investigator or co-investigator on National Institutes of Health-sponsored research totaling over $10 million and international projects totaling more than $1 million in funding. His work also led to several patented applications for medical inventions and spin-off companies. However, throughout his illustrious 30-year career in academia, he most cherished the friendships he formed along the way with hundreds of former colleagues, collaborators, students, and staff.
Zijian is survived by his wife of 35 years, Yahong, and their children, Joe and Jeff. His
immediate family also includes his mother, Liu Yan Qing, his sisters Min Min and Yong Hong,
and his nephews and niece, Xiao Liang, Li Xin, and Xin Rui. He will be deeply missed by all.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 1st, 2020. Further details on the event location and time can be found on this website.