Professor of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

Labs

Education

2002-2007 Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

1999-2002 PhD in Immunology, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing, China

1996-1999 MS in Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

1988-1993 MD, Jiangsu University School of Medicine, Zhenjiang, China

Leadership Roles & Honors

2022, Tumor Immunobiology Section Chair, AACR annual meeting 2022

2019-2022, Established Investigator Award, Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)

2019, AAI Laboratory Travel Award, The American Association of Immunologists

2018, AAI Laboratory Travel Award, The American Association of Immunologists

2017, AAI Laboratory Travel Award, The American Association of Immunologists

2016, AAI Laboratory Travel Award, The American Association of Immunologists

2014, Lustgarten-eBioscience Memorial Award, The American Association of Immunologists

2011-2014, Young Investigator Award, Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)

2011, AAI Junior Faculty Travel Award, The American Association of Immunologists

2010-2015, Research Scholar, American Cancer Society (ACS)

2010, AAI Junior Faculty Travel Award, The American Association of Immunologists

2007, Career Development Award, Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University

2007, Career Development Award Training Grant (T32), NIH, USA

Research Interests

Our primary research interest is focused on identifying the roles of different subsets of tumor-infiltrating T cells in the suppressive tumor microenvironments using in vitro with human cells derived from cancer patients, and in vivo in different types of tumor models, including head & neck, lung, colon, breast cancers and melanoma. Another area of interest involves the development of strategies to overcome immunosuppression induced by regulatory tumor-infiltrating T cells and malignant tumor cells for enhanced tumor-immunity and immunotherapy using innate signaling (TLR ligands), metabolic and epigenetic regulations. In addition, the laboratory has been performing translational studies to dissect molecular mechanisms responsible for development of senescence and dysfunction of T cells in different diseases, including cancer, chronic inflammation, and age-related neurological disorders, and then to develop effective strategies for control of T cell fate and function for disease prevention and immunotherapy.


Selected Publications