Funding & Clinical Trials

Our research is supported by the National Institutes of Health, industry partners and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The studies below are led or co-led by Dr. Xiaotao (Rony) Zhang.

Current funding

  • NIH/NIDDK R01 (1R01DK148865-01), 2026–2029. Randomized Feasibility Trial of Isocaloric Navy Bean Substitution in Adults with MASLD. Role: Principal Investigator.
  • Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, 2026–2028. Assessing Nutrition-aligned Resmetirom Roll-out. Role: Co-Principal Investigator.
  • Gilead, 2025–2027. Addressing Health Disparities in the PBC Care Cascade in a Large, Urban Health System. Role: Co-Investigator.
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2022–2027. Research Start-Up Funds. Role: Principal Investigator.

Clinical trials

BEAN-MASLD

A 24-week randomized crossover feasibility trial of isocaloric navy bean substitution in 40 adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and intermediate-stage fibrosis. Participants follow their habitual diet and a navy bean-rich diet for 12 weeks each, in random order, with registered dietitians guiding the substitution so that total calories stay the same. Single-center trial at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, funded by NIH/NIDDK (2026–2029). Principal Investigator: Xiaotao Zhang, MD, PhD.

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07730853

Medically tailored meals in patients with MASH receiving resmetirom

A multicenter trial, with Mount Sinai as the primary site, testing a nutrition intervention alongside resmetirom therapy in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Supported by Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (2026–2028). Dr. Zhang is Co-Principal Investigator, responsible for the nutrition intervention and dietary assessment.

Read more: Improving MASH Treatment With Medically Tailored Meals (Mount Sinai Reports)

BE GONE (completed)

Beans to Enrich the Gut microbiome vs. Obesity’s Negative Effects: a randomized crossover dietary intervention of dry beans in overweight and obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer, conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (2018–2022; PI: Carrie R. Daniel-MacDougall). Dr. Zhang served as trial epidemiologist and analyst and was first author of the study protocol (BMC Cancer, 2019) and the primary results (EBioMedicine, 2023).

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02843425

Completed funding

  • Dr. Franklin M. Klion Young Scientist Research Award, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2023–2024. Diet, microbiome on MASH fibrosis. Role: Principal Investigator.
  • Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), 2018–2021. Integrative Epidemiology Fellowship (RP160097; PI: Margaret R. Spitz). Role: Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Recipient.
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Institutional Research Grant, 2016–2018. Malnutrition in older adults with cancer (PI: Beatrice J. Edwards). Role: Co-Investigator.

For collaborations or research support for nutrition studies, see the Mount Sinai Bionutrition Research Core or contact us.