Shao-Chun Wang, Ph.D.
王紹椿 教授
PI’s introduction
Dr. Shao-Chun Wang is an accomplished cancer biologist with a diverse international academic background. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Taipei Medical University School of Pharmacy. After completing a two-year military service commitment, he pursued his graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where he earned his PhD in genetics and cell biology in 1995. Following his post-doctoral research at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, Dr. Wang embarked on his independent research career. He was recruited as a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Cincinnati, the Departments of Surgery and Cancer Biology. During this time, he initiated his independent research career in the field of cancer research, making significant contributions that included the development of unique genetic mouse models. These models have provided a strong foundation for investigating the influence of DNA metabolism on tumor microenvironments and cancer metastasis. In 2016, Dr. Wang’s expertise and leadership in the field of cancer research were sought after, leading him to join the thriving medical center of the China Medical University & Hospital to help further promote the institution’s endeavors in cancer research.
Education and Training
07/1984-07/1988 B.Sc. – Pharmacy, Taipei College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
09/1988-07/1990 Military Service – Air Force second lieutenant
09/1990-12/1995 Ph.D. – Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, USA
01/1996-03/1998 Post-doctoral fellow – tumor biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas USA (Mentor: Dr. Mien-Chie Hung)
Current Position
● Vice Dean, College of Medicine, China Medical University
● Director, Research Center for Tumor Medical Science Center, China Medical University Hospital
● Investigator and Deputy Director, Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital
● Professor and Co-Director, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, China Medical University
● Director, CMU-Academia Sinica PhD Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery
● Director, CMU-Minister of Education PhD program of biomedical technology and industry
Academic Positions and Appointments
01/15/2016-present Adjunct Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, Taiwan
08/01/2016-present Program Director, Minister of Education PhD program of biomedical technology and industry
08/01/2016-present Program Director, CMU-Academia Sinica PhD Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, China Medical University, Taiwan
08/01/2016-07/30/2019 Program Director, CMU-Academia Sinica Graduate Program of Translational Medicine, China Medical University, Taiwan
08/01/2016-present Co-Director, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
03/30/2016-present Professor, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
01/15/2016-present Deputy Director, Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
01/15/2016-present Full Research Fellow, Center of Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
01/2016-present Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio
09/2014-01/2016 Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio
09/2008-08/2014 Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio (formerly the Department of Cancer and Cell Biology)
03/2007-08/2008 Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio
02/01/2002-02/28/2007 Research-track Assistant Professor, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncol-ogy, Houston, Texas
Honors
1996-1997 Breast Cancer Research Project Award; University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
1999-2000 W. M. Keck Center for Cancer Gene Therapy Development Awards for the Human Cancer Gene Prevention and Therapy Program; University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
2000-2002 Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Translational Research Award (BCTR 2000693).
2003-2007 American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant (RSG-03-138-01-CCD 01) (Co-PI).
2007-2008 University of Cincinnati Cancer Center Research Award
2012-2013 University of Cincinnati Provost’s Pilot Research Award
2013 University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Internal Study Section Award for meritorious grant proposal
2013-2016 NIH Early Career Reviewer (ECR) program of Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
2014-2015 Cincinnati Cancer Center Affinity Pilot Research Award
2015-2016 Marlene Harris Ride Cincinnati Breast Cancer Research Award
2016-2018 Scholar of Global Networking Talent Plan, Ministry of Education, Taiwan
2021 Scholar of Global Networking Talent Plan, Ministry of Education, Taiwan
2021 Elsevier global top 2% science-wide author (2020)
2022 Elsevier global top 2% science-wide author (2021)
2022 Elsevier global top 2% science-wide author (career)
2022 19th National Innovation Award (selected among the top 15 out of ~500 competing teams)
Research Topics
(1) Regulation of the immune microenvironment by DNA metabolism programmed through proliferative stresses in cancer cells: Over years of dedicated work, our team has uncovered a novel mechanism that involves site-specific phosphorylation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) by growth signaling pathways like EGFR and c-ABL, which subsequently reprogram key enzymatic activities in nuclear DNA metabolism which plays an important role to communicate with the tumor microenvironment and recruitment of immune cells for cancer surveillance. Our current findings open new therapeutic avenues for advanced and treatment-resistant cancer.
(2) Molecular mechanisms governing immune cell activation, exhaustion, and the adverse side effects caused by immune therapy: Our laboratory also places a significant emphasis on unraveling the complex molecular mechanisms that govern immune cell activation, exhaustion, and the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAE) induced by immunotherapies. A primary objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of immune responses to tumor invasion, with a particular focus on immune cells such as T and NK cells. This involves an investigation into the factors that determine the sensitivity of cancer cells to anti-tumor immunity and the translation of this knowledge to therapeutic development. Our work has resulted in the identification of numerous genes, including non-coding RNAs, which possess the capacity to modulate immune checkpoint functions and alleviate T cell exhaustion within tumor cells. Furthermore, we have pioneered the development of a unique animal model designed to study irAE that arises from immune checkpoint treatments, particularly in mice carrying specific types of tumor xenografts. Our ultimate goal is to contribute to the enhancement of immunotherapy efficacy and the mitigation or reduction of side effects in clinical applications.
(3) Development of novel targeted therapeutics: Our research extends beyond fundamental discoveries to the translation of molecular mechanisms into practical therapeutic and diagnostic applications. We are developing cutting-edge technologies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based NK systems, innovative multi-target recombinant engagers, and the utilization of extracellular vesicles for the systemic targeting of cancer cells. Furthermore, we are actively pursuing the development of recombinant single-chain antibodies that target post-translational modifications of cell surface molecules critical for driving cancer progression.
scwlab 