Weihua Zhang, RN, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, APRN, MS, PhD, FCCP, has been named a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), a global organization advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Fellows are recognized as demonstrating excellence, dedication and leadership in chest medicine. Zhang is one of the only nurse practitioners to earn this prestigious designation.

Zhang is a clinical associate professor at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing where she teaches in the adult gerontology primary nurse practitioner program. Her expertise is in pulmonary medicine and education with research focused on pulmonary disease management and prevention. A board-certified nurse practitioner in primary care and adult gerontology acute care, Zhang also works in the hospital setting as an advanced practice provider (APP) with Wellstar Pulmonary/Critical Medicine to recognize, diagnose and treat common pulmonary diseases.

Zhang has taught at Emory’s School of Nursing in the undergraduate and graduate nursing program for the last 19 years and has served in several leadership positions at Emory University, including curriculum co-chair; research committee chair for Alpha Epsilon Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International; and Honor Society of Nursing member. Zhang received Emory’s “High Five” teacher’s award in 2018 and 2019.

Zhang continually shares her learning and wisdom through the authorship of peer-reviewed articles and presentations at regional and national forums. The recipient of several research grants, she most recently secured a grant with Emory Global Health Institute and led five graduate students to explore latent variables, air quality, and respiratory disease in Nanjing, China in collaboration with chest physicians and air quality scientist in China.

Furthermore, she was one of the U.S. Fulbright Scholars in Myanmar during 2018-2019 and worked with faculty team from University of Nursing, Yangon and pulmonologists and scientists from School of Medicine in Myanmar collaboratively preparing for future study in air quality, public health, and respiratory disease prevention and management.