He started his career as a medicinal chemist by earning M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry from School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Peking University, and followed by Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA. After several years of postdoctoral experience with Dr. Heather A. Carlson at College of Pharmacy of University of Michigan and with Dr. J. Phillip Bowen at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Dr. Zhong started his tenure-track position at University of Nebraska