Dr. Yapei Zhang graduated from Princeton University summa cum laude with her AB in Molecular Biology. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi honor societies, and received the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence. As an undergraduate student, her research focused on inferring 3D residue contacts of protein complexes from evolutionary sequence variations.

Dr. Zhang earned her MD from Yale School of Medicine with Honors. While at medical school, her research included studies on minimally invasive glaucoma surgery outcomes; home monitoring tools for diabetic retinopathy patients; disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of patients seeking a multidisciplinary tumor board review; and a cancer tracking system to improved the timeliness of liver cancer care in veterans. During this time, she also performed ophthalmology clinical electives at Lions International Eye Centre in Accra, Ghana.

Dr. Zhang's work was supported by several fellowships, such as the Richard K. Gershon Endowed Medical Student Research Fellowship; Richard Alan Hirschfield Memorial Fellowship; Yale School of Medicine Medical Student Research Fellowship; and the Daniel B. Stryer, MD, Class of 1990 International Clinical Rotation Fellowship. She also received the Canaan-Yale Venture Fellowship and the Marguerite Rush Lerner Creative Medical Writing and Art Award. Her work has been published in journals such as Journal of the American College of Radiology, Vaccine, and Jounral of Physical Chemistry B. She has presented her work at American Academy of Ophthalmology, Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians, Digestive Disease Week, and ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.