Christopher Thang

Medical Student, Researcher, Founder

About Me

Hi! My name is Christopher Thang, a 3nd-year medical student at the John Sealy School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

I began my research journey at 16 as an early-college student under Dr. Douglas Root at the University of North Texas, achieving a publication in the Biophysical Journal when I was 18.Shortly afterward, I was accepted into medical school through the 3/4 accelerated BS/MD program at the University of Houston (UH) and UTMB. I was then chosen as 1 of 2 Texas students to be a delegate for the 2018 National Youth Science Camp.Since then, I have completed my undergraduate at 21 years old with Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude honors.My current research interests include:
- oncodermatology (melanoma, cirAEs)
- acne treatment (isotretinoin, tetracyclines)
- atopic dermatitis (dupilumab)

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, John Sealy School of Medicine (2021 - Present)
MD Candidate, 3/4 Accelerated BS/MD Program

University of Houston (2018 - 2021)
BS Honors Biomedical Sciences, Minor in Medicine & Society

University of North Texas Honors College, Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (2016 - 2018)
High School Diploma, Biology Track

Barbieri Lab

Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Harvard Medical School

Current projects involve:- Retrospective cohort studies investigating associations between drugs used for acne treatment and other conditions- Cross-sectional media studies assessing educational content on dermatologic skin conditions

Semenov Lab

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School

Current projects involve:- Investigating the impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors on cutaneous immune-related adverse events- Examining outcomes of stage III, uveal, and acral melanoma patients via clinical informatics approaches

El Ayadi Lab

University of Texas Medical Branch
Department of Surgery

Projects included:- Exploring the relationship between neuroinflammation and metabolic changes- Investigating the impact of sedentary conditions on burn recovery

Cai Lab

University of Houston
Department of Chemistry

Projects included:- Development of a high-throughput, 34-catheter array system to study benign biofilms against uropathogens under flow conditions- Assisted in genomic (16S rRNA), proteomic (mass spectrometry), and metabolomic analysis- Clinical application toward reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections via bacterial inference mechanisms

Root Lab

University of North Texas
Department of Biological Sciences

Projects included:- Analysis of the potency of anti-myosin synthetic peptides on influencing myosin subfragment-2 (S2) stability to modulate myofibril contraction- Proposal of a myosin head cooperativity hypothesis from lower EC50/IC50 to Kd ratios in myofibril contractility assays- Elucidation of myosin binding protein C regulation of myosin S2 through antibody competition assays

Thang CJ, Garate D, O’Leary S, Golovko G, Wilkerson MG, Barbieri JS. Evaluation of the association between tetracycline-class antibiotic use in patients with acne and idiopathic intracranial hypertension risk: a population-level cohort study. British Journal of Dermatology. 2024 Mar 26.Garate D, Thang CJ, Damsky W, Rosenbach M, Golovko G, Wilkerson MG, Barbieri JS, Granuloma annulare is associated with an increased risk of hematologic malignancies: A multicenter cohort study using TriNetX., Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2024), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2023.12.028Roster K, Thang C, Islam S, Lipner SR. Underreporting of acral lentiginous melanoma in studies informing American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System Guidelines: a review of 150 cited studies. Melanoma Res. 2024;34(1):84-88.Thang CJ, Garate D, Golovko G, Barbieri JS. Isotretinoin exposure does not appear to be associated with risk of adverse male sexual health outcomes in acne patients. International Journal of Dermatology. 2024 Feb;63(2):e54-7.Quedan DA, Singh R, Akel A, Bernardino AL, Thang C, Bhaskaruni M, Haldankar A, Tanner BC, Root DD. Cooperative & competitive binding of anti-myosin tail antibodies revealed by super-resolution microscopy. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 2023 Sep 14:109753.Garate D, Christopher Jayee Thang, Flores I, Thomas D, Golovko G. LB1695 Racial disparities in Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis clinical outcomes. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2023 Sep 1;143(9):B14–4.Roster K, Rajeh A, Wu F, Wan G, Thang C, Rashdan H, Nguyen N, Semenov YR. Recurrence and Survival in Early-stage Acral Lentiginous Melanoma, A Retrospective Analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 Aug 13:S0190-9622(23)02494-5.Thang CJ, Garate D, Thang J, Lipoff JB, Barbieri JS
Short-Form Medical Media: A Multi-Platform Analysis of Acne Treatment Information in TikTok Videos, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts
JMIR Dermatol 2023;6:e48140Duncan SA, Sperling GL, Moy MI, Hansen R, Soudah CK, Rodriguez P, Rego A, Rojas VN, Paul M, Robicheaux JA, Chen C, Thang C, Agana DFG. Investigating the Impact of Community Volunteerism on the Mental Health of Medical Students. J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2023 Jul 31;10:23821205231191903.Quedan DA, Bernardino-Schaefer A, Singh R, Thang C, Bhaskaruni M, Srivastava R, Root DD. Cooperative activation of striated muscle thick filaments by S2 binding. Biophysical Journal. 2018 Feb 2;114(3):646a.

Garate D, Thang CJ, Chang CT, Owji S, Murphy TL, Golovko G, Correa Da Rosa J, Guttman-Yassky E, Wilkerson MG, Gulati N (2023). Prolonged Dupilumab Use in Atopic Dermatitis Patients is Associated with Decreased Risk of Malignancy Development. NY Skin Club Meeting. New York NYGarate D, Thang CJ, Wilkerson MG (2023). Comparative Analysis of Cardiovascular Risk on Psoriasis: Assessing Disparities between Black/African American and White Non-Hispanic Patients. European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress. Berlin GermanyGarate D, Thang CJ, Streight K, Linfante AW (2023). Lepromatous Leprosy Masquerading as Necrotizing Fasciitis with Septic Shock. Texas Dermatological Society Spring Annual Meeting. San Antonio TXThang C, Garate D, Thang J, Kroger K (2023). Assessing the Characteristics of Keloid Removal Videos on TikTok: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. 25th World Congress of Dermatology. SingaporeThang C, Garate D, Thang J, Kroger K (2023). TikTok and the Promotion of Pseudoscience: The Case of Chlorophyll Water. 25th World Congress of Dermatology. SingaporeGarate D, Thang CJ, Flores I, Thomas D, Golovko G (2023). Racial disparities in Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis clinical outcomes. Inaugural International Societies for Investigative Dermatology Meeting. Tokyo JapanThang CJ, Bonilla D, Tran T (2023). Analysis of Trending Plasma Pen Content on Short-Form Video Platform YouTube Shorts. Texas Dermatological Society Spring Annual Meeting. Austin TXKleto GE, Thang C, Garate D, O’Leary S, Linfante A, El Ayadi A (2023). The Influence of Board-Certification on Skin Cancer Education in Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Texas Dermatological Society Spring Annual Meeting. Austin TXGarate D, Thang CJ, Jimenez A, Linfante A (2023). Cutaneous Botyromycosis: A Case Report of a Rare Suppurative Infection. Texas Dermatological Society Spring Annual Meeting. Austin TXSoudah CK, Thang CJ, Duncan SA, Banci DR, Rodriguez PS, Lee CP, Agana-Norman, DG (2023). Public Health Outreach Through GISD After-School Programs. UTMB Public Health Symposium. Galveston TXThang CJ, Bonilla D, Tran T (2023). Analysis of Trending Plasma Pen Content on Short-Form Video Platform YouTube Shorts. UTMB Public Health Symposium. Galveston TXThang C, Garate D, O’Leary S, Linfante A, El Ayadi A (2023). Quality of Skin Cancer Educational Short-Form Video on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXThang C, Garate D, O’Leary S, Linfante A, El Ayadi A (2023). Evaluating the Impact of Verification Status on Skin Cancer Education on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXGarate D, Thang C, O’Leary S, Linfante A, El Ayadi A (2023). Advertisements vs. Education: Analysis of Skin Cancer Short-Form Video On Instagram and YouTube. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXHallman T, Thang CJ, Branski L (2023). Analyzing Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Content on Novel Short-Form Video Platform YouTube Shorts. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXGarate D, Thang C, O’Leary S, Linfante A, El Ayadi A (2023). Analysis of Skin Cancer Prevalence on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXSoudah CK, Thang CJ, Duncan SA, Banci DR, Rodriguez PS, LEe CP, Agana-Norman, DG (2023). Academic Program to Improve Educational Experiences for Galveston Youth & UTMB Students. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXO’Leary S, Thang C, Garate D, Linfante A, El Ayadi A (2023). The Effect of Creator Type on Skin Cancer Education Quality on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXJohnson MH, Nair GA, Mack CK, O’Leary S, Thang CJ, Mao R, Shah NR, Phatak UR (2023).
Navigating Misinformation: YouTube as a Health Resource for Diverticulosis & Diverticulitis. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXThang C, Garate D, O’Leary S, Linfante A, El Ayadi A (2023). Skin Cancer Education on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts: A Short-Form Media Analysis. UTMB Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association Research Symposium. Galveston TXHorani K, Thang CJ, O’Leary SM, Robledo A, Janney CF, Hagedorn II JC, Jupiter DC, Panchbhavi VK, Chen J (2022). Base of Fifth Metatarsal Fractures: A Meta-Analysis of Plate Fixation. UTMB National Student Research Forum. Galveston TXThang C, Wang M, Cashin T, Cai C (2020). Development of a High-Throughput Flow Biofilm Reactor System for the Study of Bacterial Interference Against Uropathogenic Colonization on Silicone Urinary Catheters. University of Houston Undergraduate Research Day. Houston TXLi R, Qin G, Chen Y, Wang M, Thang C, Cai C (2020). Urinary protein deposition and its effect on biofilm formation on urinary catheters by nonpathogenic and pathogenic bacteria. American Society for Mass Spectrometry. OnlineNguyen N, Wang M, Thang C, Cai, C (2018). Development of a High-Throughput Flow Biofilm Reactor System for the Study of Bacteria Interference Against Uropathogenic Colonization on Silicone Urinary Catheters. University of Houston Undergraduate Research Day. Houston TXThang C, Quedan DA, Bernardino-Schaefer A, Singh R, Bhaskaruni M, Srivastava R, Root DD (2018). How to Increase or Decrease Muscle Contraction with Chemistry. National Youth Science Academy NYSCamp Lecture Series. Monongahela National Forest WVThang C, Bhaskaruni M, Root DD (2018). Anti-S2 Peptides That Modulate Myofibril Contractility. University of North Texas Scholars Day. Denton TXThang C, Bhaskaruni M, Root DD (2018). A Novel Approach to Influencing Actin-Myosin Interaction by Modulating Myosin Subfragment-2 for the Treatment of Cardiomyopathies. Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference. Allen TX

University of TX Medical Branch - The Memorial Scholarship for John W. Rees, MD for the School of Medicine (2023)University of TX Medical Branch - Ruth M. Bain, M.D., Endowed Presidential Scholarship (2023)University of TX Medical Branch - Dr. Joseph Barnhart Scholarship (2023)University of TX Medical Branch - Dea Bailey Calvin Scholarship (2023)Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - Research Fellow (2023)University of TX Medical Branch - Oscar Edward Rhode & William Stevenson Rhode Scholarship (2022)University of Houston - Summa Cum Laude (2022)Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (2022)University of TX Medical Branch - Daniel Baen Scholarship (2021)University of Houston - Phi Beta Kappa (2022)University of Houston Honors College - JP Morgan Merit Scholarship (2020)University of Houston Honors College - Great Conversation Scholarship (2019)University of Houston - Asian Alumni Scholarship (2019)University of Houston - Natural Science & Mathematics AA Scholarship (2019)University of Houston - Houston Early Research Experience (2019)University of Houston - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (2019)Thermo Fisher Scientific Antibody Scholarship - Featured Winner (2018)University of Houston UHAA Legacy Scholarship (2018)National Merit Finalist (2017)University of North Texas Honors College - Summer Research Scholarship (2017)University of North Texas - Undergraduate Research Fellow (2017)Eagle Scout - Boy Scouts of America (2017)University of North Texas President's List (2016)

Thank You!

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