Research Lab Overview

The research focus of the Terence Williams Lab is to elucidate the molecular biology of cancer vulnerability derived from genetic, epigenetic, metabolic and tumor micro-environmental alterations, and to find strategies targeting this vulnerability to improve cancer chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecularly targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

The Williams Lab is translating its bench findings in the underlying mechanisms of the deregulation of genome surveillance systems and nutrient scavenging/caveolae-mediated endocytosis to clinic for the personalized diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer patients.

The picture on the right shows Tiantian Cui, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant research professor in the Terence Williams Lab, sharing and discussing science at the 2022 conference of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) at New Orleans, LA.

Highlights

The overarching goal of our research is to understand the mechanisms of the inherent and acquired resistance of cancer cells to current available treatment modalities, particularly radiotherapy and chemotherapy at the genetic, transcriptomic and proteomic levels.

Such knowledge allows us to design and implement novel therapy strategies for poor-prognosis cancers, including gastrointestinal (pancreatic, esophago-gastric, colorectal and hepatobiliary), thoracic (non-small cell lung cancer), thyroid, and head and neck malignancies. We use various mouse models (transgenic, genetically engineered, patient-derived xenograft and orthotopic models) as well as patient tissues (tumor and normal) in combination with basic molecular and cellular techniques to address the fundamental cancer biological questions about how cancers initiate, develop and progress to aggressive, therapeutically-resistant and metastatic disease.

We identify and validate our biomarkers in clinically-relevant disease model systems for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cancer patients. We collaborate with many other labs at City of Hope, across the U.S. and internationally in five main overlapping research areas with the goal of driving the development of new clinical trials:

Caveolae-mediated endocytosis and nutrient scavenging
Oncogene mediated radioresistance
Identifying and targeting novel DNA repair and DNA damage response pathways modulating tumorigenesis and therapeutic response
Developmental therapeutics (e.g., protein-drug conjugates, RNA, radiopharmaceuticals, radioimmunotherapy)
Molecular profiling and predictive biomarkers in immuno-oncology

View more research

In the News

January 2025
Dr. Tiantian Cui’s abstract was selected to speak at the 2025 American Association of Cancer Research Special Conference on Translating Targeted Therapies in Combination with Radiotherapy in San Diego. Her topic is ‘STN1 promotes DNA double-strand break repair in a potentially CST complex-independent role in pancreatic cancer’.

Dr. Tiantian Cui speaking at the 2025 American Association of Cancer Research Special Conference on Translating Targeted Therapies in Combination with Radiotherapy in San Diego

September 2024

Dr. Sindhu Nair presented her poster ‘Focused CRISPR activation-based screening to identify novel targets of chemoradiation resistance in pancreatic cancer’ at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Dr. Sindhu Nair at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

September 2024

Dr. Linlin Yang presented his poster ‘Fanconi anemia complementation group 1 (FANCI) mediates oncogenic BRAF-driven radiation resistance in thyroid cancer’ at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Dr. Linlin Yang at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

September 2024

Dr. Tiantian Cui presented her poster ‘Preclinical Study of Combining Triapine with Radiation in Glioblastoma’ at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Dr. Tiantian Cui at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

December 2023

Congratulations to Dr. Sergio Corrales-Guerrero on his Commencement at the Ohio State University on December 18, 2023. We wish him all the best in his new position!

Dr. Sergio Corrales-Guerrero Commencement

October 2023

Dr. Linlin Yang presented his poster ‘Investigation of ATR inhibitor VX970 as radiosensitizer in colorectal cancer cells’ at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Dr. Linlin Yang at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

2023

STN1 forms a CST (CTC1-STN1-TEN1) complex crucial for telomere duplication and maintenance. We found that depletion of STN1 but not CTC1 or TEN1 sensitizes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells to ionizing radiation and chemotherapy drugs. Proteomic analysis revealed that STN1 physically interacts with many proteins crucial for general DNA repair, DNA replication and cell cycle progression.

Our findings have revealed novel CST complex independent mechanisms for STN1 in DNA repair and suggested STN1 is a promising biomarker for management of cancer patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Dr. Changxian Shen at the AACR conference in Orlando, Florida — Dr. Changxian Shen stands next to his poster, “CTC1-STN1-TEN1 (CST) complex-independent roles for STN1 in DNA double-strand break repair in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,” at the 2023 conference of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) in Orlando, Florida.

2023

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive malignant primary brain tumor that is resistant to currently available treatment modules. Intrinsic and acquired resistance to radiotherapy largely contributes to the poor clinical outcomes of GBM patients after systemic treatment. We discovered that ribonucleotide reductase subunit 2 (RRM2) upregulation promotes radiation resistance and selectively targeting RRM2 with blood-brain barrier permeable Triapine sensitizes GBM to radiotherapy.

Intriguingly, targeting RRM2 with Triapine induces synthetic lethality of GBM cells with CHK1 inhibitor Rabusertib. Our findings suggest that combining Triapine with radiation or Rabusertib may improve the therapeutic outcome of GBM patients.

Dr. Sergio Corrales-Guerrero at AACR in Orlando Florida — Sergio Corrales-Guerrero stands next to his poster “Targeting ribonucleotide reductase subunit 2 (RRM2) to radio-sensitize glioblastoma” at the 2023 conference of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) in Orlando, Florida.

2022

Dr. Linlin Yang reported "Targeting KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR aptamer displaying 3WJpRNA nanoparticles" at the 2022 conference of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) at NOLA. In this study, we assembled novel EGFRaptmer-3WJ-siKRAS mutation-targeted nanoparticles to target EGFR-expressing human NSCLC harboring a KRASG12C mutation to silence KRASG12C expression in a tumor-specific fashion. We found that EGFRapt-3WJ-siKRASG12C nanoparticles potently and selectively depleted cellular KRASG12C expression, resulting in attenuation of downstream MAPK pathway signaling, cell proliferation, migration/invasion ability, sensitization of NSCLC cells to chemoradiotherapy, and in vivo growth inhibition of KRASG12C NSCLC tumor xenografts. Together, this study suggests that the 3WJ pRNA-based platform has the potential to suppress mutant KRAS activity for the treatment of KRAS-driven human cancers, and warrants further development for clinical translation.

Linlin Yang at the 2023 AACR at NOLA — Dr. Tiantian Cui’s poster ‘Caveolin-1 functions as a potential predictive biomarker for JNTX-101, an albumin encapsulated gemcitabine prodrug’ at the 2022 conference of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) at NOLA. JNTX-101, an albumin-encapsulated gemcitabine prodrug, effectively inhibits pancreatic and lung cancer tumor growth and may hold promise for future clinical development. Cav-1 expression dictates sensitivity to JNTX-101, at least partially through reduced apoptotic cell death. Cav-1 may be a potential predictive biomarker of JNTX-101 efficacy, especially in nutrient-deprived conditions.

Career Opportunities

The goal of Dr. Williams’ Lab is to revolutionize the management of cancer patients. To help achieve this goal, we are working to develop an innovative and dynamic scientific research team at City of Hope.

To accomplish our mission, we promote an environment centered on teamwork and learning for all team members at every stage of training (staff scientist level, post-doctoral, graduate and undergraduate).

Specifically, we are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and self-motivated individuals who thrive in a fast-paced, competitive and challenging research environment and who can interact well with others as members of our research family. If you work hard and have a dream to make a significant difference in the health care of cancer patients, we invite you to contact us. Inquiries can be directed to Dr. Tiantian Cui at [email protected].

Please include the following:

Short cover letter
CV, biosketch, or resume with names of references
Areas of interest in our lab

Mailing address:
Department of Radiation Oncology
City of Hope National Medical Center
Beckman Research Institute
1500 East Duarte Road
Duarte, CA 91010

Inquiries can be directed to:

Dr. Tiantian Cui
Email: [email protected]

Principal Investigator: Terence M. Williams, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Williams is a radiation oncologist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at City of Hope.

Full bio

Lab Members

Tiantian Cui, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor

Dr. Tiantian Cui, M.D., Ph.D., graduated from Binzhou Medical ...

Veronica Castro-Aceituno, Ph.D., R.D.N.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Veronica Castro-Aceituno, Ph.D., R.D.N., graduated from San ...

Veronica Castro-Aceituno, Ph.D., R.D.N.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Veronica Castro-Aceituno, Ph.D., R.D.N., graduated from San Carlos de Guatemala University and became a registered dietitian nutritionist in 2013. With a scholarship from the National Secretariat of Science and Technology of Guatemala, she joined Professor Deok-Chun Yang's laboratory. In 2018, she attained her Ph.D. by investigating the anti-cancer mechanism of various nanoparticles derived from oriental medicinal plants at Kyung Hee University in South Korea. Later, she joined Professor Young-Han Song's team at Hallym University as a postdoctoral researcher.

In 2019, Castro-Aceituno attained a grant from the National Research Foundation of South Korea to study the mechanism of activation by tetramerization of Drosophila p53 (Dp53) and the identification of the physiological function of the isoforms of Dp53. She joined the lab of Dr. Terence Williams at City of Hope in July 2021.

Her experience lies in the elucidation of the possible anticancer mechanism of new therapies for the treatment of cancer. Castro-Aceituno's research goals are to study tumor metabolism and cancer nutrient scavenging and to improve the quality of life of cancer of patients by shedding light on interdisciplinary methods that will avoid resistance to treatment and reduce its side effects, including cancer cachexia.

Research Focus

Caveolae Mediated Endocytosis in Nutrient Scavenging and Tumor Metabolism/Progression
Cav-1/Caveolae in Tumor Cachexia and Macropinocytosis

Education

2013-2018, Ph.D., Oriental Medicine Materials and Processing Department, Kyung Hee University, Suwon, South Korea
2005-2011, B.S., R.D.N., Nutrition School, Department of Chemical Science and Pharmacy, San Carlos University, Guatemala

Internship

2011, Intern, Clinical Nutrition, Hospital General San Juan de Dios, Guatemala
2011, Intern, Community Nutrition, Save the Children, Quiche, Guatemala

Professional Experience

2021-Present, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Radiation Oncology Department, City of Hope National Medical Center, CA, USA
2018-2021, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, South Korea
2013-2018, Graduate Researcher, Oriental Medicine and Biotechnology Department, Hanbanbio Laboratory, Kyung Hee University, South Korea
2012-2013, Head of Nutrition Department (RDN), Hospital National de Melchor de Mencos Peten, Guatemala

Grants

2019-2021, Academic Balanced Development Support Grant. Nacional Research Foundation (NRF), South Korea. Project: “Mechanism of activation by tetramerization and identification of physiological function of Drosophila p53 isoforms”

Awards

2017, Best Oral Presentation Award, The Korean Society of Medicinal Crop Science, Journal of Korean Medicinal Crop Science Conference
2017, Korean Symposium on Medicinal Crop Science and Autumn Symposium, South Korea
2017, Internationalization Scholarship, Graduate studies, Kyung Hee University, South Korea Period, Spring 2016 – Spring 2017
2016, Paper Publication in Journal, Award-Scholarship, Kyung Hee University, South Korea, Fall 2016, Paper: “In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Animal, 2016 52(10): 1012-1019”
2013, Scholarship for International Students. Graduate studies. Kyung Hee University, South Korea, Period: Fall 2013 – Spring 2016
2013, President Scholarship, Graduate studies, Kyung Hee University, South Korea, Period: Fall 2013 – Spring 2017

Memberships

2018, Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World
2018, International Network of Science, Technology and Innovation of Guatemala

Publications

Yi, Myoung H., Shakina Yesmin Simu, Sungeun Ahn, Verónica Castro Aceituno, et al. Antiobesity Effect of Gold Nanoparticles from Dendropanax morbifera Léveille by Suppression of Triglyceride Synthesis and Downregulation of PPARγ and CEBPα Signaling Pathways in 3T3-L1 Mature Adipocytes and HepG2 Cells. Current Nanoscience 2020;16(2): 196-203.
Park, Ji-Hong, Tram Thi Ngoc Nguyen, Eun-Mi Lee, Veronica Castro-Aceituno, et al. Role of p53 isoforms in the DNA damage response during Drosophila oogenesis. Scientific reports 2019; 9(1): 1-12.
Kim, Y.J., Perumalsamy, H., Markus, J., Balusamy, S.R., Wang, C., Ho Kang, S., Lee, S., Park, S.Y., Kim, S., Castro-Aceituno, V. and Kim, S.H. Development of Lactobacillus kimchicus DCY51Tmediated gold nanoparticles for delivery of ginsenoside compound K: in vitro photothermal effects and apoptosis detection in cancer cells. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology 2019; 47(1): 30- 44.
Shim, Yeon Jae, Veronika Soshnikova, Gokulanathan Anandapadmanaban, Ramya Mathiyalagan, Zuly Elizabeth Jimenez Perez, Josua Markus, Yeon Ju Kim, Verónica CastroAceituno, and Deok Chun Yang. Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by Suaeda japonica Makino and Their Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue. Optik 2019; 182: 1015-1020.
Simu, S. Y., Ahn, S., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized with Fresh Panax ginseng Leaf Extract Suppress Adipogenesis by Downregulating PPARγ/CEBPα Signaling in 3T3-L1 Mature Adipocytes. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2019; 19(2): 701-708
Mathiyalagan, R., Wang, C., Kim, Y. J., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Preparation of Polyethylene Glycol-Ginsenoside Rh1 and Rh2 Conjugates and Their Efficacy against Lung Cancer and Inflammation. Molecules 2019; 24(23): 4367.
Kim, Y. J., Perumalsamy, H., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Photoluminescent And SelfAssembled Hyaluronic Acid-Zinc Oxide-Ginsenoside Rh2 Nanoparticles And Their Potential Caspase-9 Apoptotic Mechanism Towards Cancer Cell Lines. International Journal of Nanomedicine 2019; 14: 8195.
Kim, C.G.*, Castro-Aceituno, V.*, et al. Caspase-3/MAPK pathways as main regulators of the apoptotic effect of the phyto-mediated synthesized silver nanoparticle from dried stem of Eleutherococcus senticosus in human cancer cells. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 2018; 99: 128-133.
Simu, S. Y*., Castro‐Aceituno, V*., et al. Fermentation of soybean hull by Monascus pilosus and elucidation of its related molecular mechanism involved in the inhibition of lipid accumulation. An in sílico and in vitro approach. Journal of Food Biochemistry 2018; 42(1): e12442.
Singh, P., Ahn, S., Kang, J.P., Veronika, S., Huo, Y., Singh, H., Chokkaligam, M., El-Agamy Farh, M., Aceituno, V.C., et al. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of spherical silver nanoparticles and monodisperse hexagonal gold nanoparticles by fruit extract of Prunus serrulata: a green synthetic approach. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology 2018; 46(8): 2022-2032.
Lee, H.A., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides as mediators of the eco-friendly synthesis of silver and gold spherical, face-centred cubic nanocrystals and its antimigratory and cytotoxic potential in normal and cancer cell lines. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology 2018; 46(sup2): 285-294.
Oh, K.H., Soshnikova, V., Markus, J., Kim, Y.J., Lee, S.C., Singh, P., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Biosynthesized gold and silver nanoparticles by aqueous fruit extract of Chaenomeles sinensis and screening of their biomedical activities. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology 2018; 46(3): 599- 606.
Huo, Y., Singh, P., Kim, Y.J., Soshnikova, V., Kang, J., Markus, J., Ahn, S., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Biological synthesis of gold and silver chloride nanoparticles by Glycyrrhiza uralensis and in vitro applications. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology 2018; 46(2): 303-312.
Ahn, S., Singh, P., Jang, M., Kim, Y. J., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Gold nanoflowers synthesized using Acanthopanacis cortex extract inhibit inflammatory mediators in LPS-induced RAW264. 7 macrophages via NF-κB and AP-1 pathways. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 2018; 62, 398-404.
Soshnikova, V., Kim, Y.J., Singh, P., Huo, Y., Markus, J., Ahn, S., Castro-Aceituno, V., Kang, J., Chokkalingam, M., Mathiyalagan, R. and Yang, D.C., 2017. Cardamom fruits as a green resource for facile synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles and their biological applications. Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology 2018; 41(1): 108-117.
Castro-Aceituno, V*., Abbai, R*., et al. Pleuropterus multiflorus (Hasuo) mediated straightforward eco-friendly synthesis of silver, gold nanoparticles and evaluation of their anti-cancer activity on A549 lung cancer cell line. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 2017; 93: 995-1003
Wang, Dandan, Josua Markus, Chao Wang, Yeon-Ju Kim, Ramya Mathiyalagan, Verónica Castro Aceituno, et al. Green synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Cibotium barometz root. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology 2017; 45(8): 1548-1555.
Singh, P., Singh, H., Ahn, S., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Pharmacological importance, characterization and applications of gold and silver nanoparticles synthesized by Panax ginseng fresh leaves. Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology 2017; 45(7): 1415-1424.
Park, J. K., V. Castro-Aceituno, et al. "Ginsenoside from Panax ginseng Meyer Enhances the Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effect of Cisplatin in A549 Human Lung Cancer Cells." Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 2017; 79.3: 468-474.
Hurh, J., Markus, J., Kim, Y. J., Ahn, S., Castro-Aceituno, V., et al. Facile reduction and stabilization of ginsenoside-functionalized gold nanoparticles: optimization, characterization, and in vitro cytotoxicity studies. Journal of Nanoparticle Research 2017; 19(9): 313.

Haihua Feng, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Haihua Feng, Ph.D., graduated from China Pharmaceutical ...

Haihua Feng, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Haihua Feng, Ph.D., graduated from China Pharmaceutical University in 2010, and got his Ph.D. degree in the Department of Pathophysiology at Nanjing Medical University in 2015. After that, he did his postdoctoral research training at Albany Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic in the DNA damage and DNA replication field.

Dr. Feng joined the lab of Terence Williams, M.D., Ph.D., in 2021 to continue translating his research from the bench to the clinic. Dr. Feng’s long-term research goal is to identify the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage response and DNA replication and develop novel strategies to sensitize tumors to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Research Focus

DNA damage response and DNA replication stress response
Strategies to sensitize tumors to chemoradiation

Education

2010-2015, Ph.D., Department of Pathophysiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
2012-2014, Exchange student, Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, New York, New York, U.S.
2005-2010, B.S., Pharmaceutical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China

Professional Experience

2021-present, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
2018- 2021, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
2017-2018, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Albany Medical College, New York, New York, U.S.
2016-2017, Research Associate at Jiangnan University, and Eyecure company, Wuxi, China

Publications

Feng H, Lu J, Song X, Thongkum A, Zhang F, Lou L, Reizes O, Almasan A, Gong Z. CK2 kinase-mediated PHF8 phosphorylation controls TopBP1 stability to regulate DNA replication. Nucleic Acids Res. 2021;49(4):2400-2401.
Shen C, He Y, Chen Q, Feng H, Williams TW, Lu Y, He Z. Narrative review of emerging roles for AKT-mTOR signaling in cancer radioimmunotherapy. Ann Transl Med 2021;9(20):1596.
Xie L, Feng H, Li S, Meng G, Liu S, Tang X, Ma Y, Han Y, Xiao Y, Gu Y, Shao Y, Park C-M, Xian M, Huang Y, Ferro A, Wang R, Moore PK, Wang H, Ji Y. SIRT3 Mediates the Antioxidant Effect of Hydrogen Sulfide in Endothelial Cells. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. 2016; 24(6): 329-343.
McMahon JJ, Yu W, Yang J, Feng H, Helm M, McMahon E, Zhu X, Shin D, Huang Y. Seizure-dependent mTOR activation in 5-HT neurons promotes autism-like behaviors in mice. Neurobiol Dis. 2015; 73: 296–306.
Qichun Zhang Q, Yun Zhang Y, Haihua Feng H, Rui Guo, Lai Jin, Rong Wan, Lina Wang, Cheng Chen, and Shengnan Li. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Promotes Glucose Uptake in Adipocytes and Glycogen Synthesis in Muscle Cells. PLoS One. 2011; 6(8): e23556.

Nicholas Eustace, M.D., Ph.D.

Radiation Oncology Resident

Nicholas Eustace, M.D., Ph.D. is a radiation oncology resident in...

Ling Gui

Visiting Scholar

Ling Gui is a visiting scholar in Dr. Terence Williams’ ...

Haiqing Li, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Haiqing Li, Ph.D., is a staff scientist in the Terence Williams ...

Linlin Yang, M.D., Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Linlin Yang, M.D., Ph.D., graduated from Binzhou Medical ...

Linlin Yang, M.D., Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Linlin Yang, M.D., Ph.D., graduated from Binzhou Medical University China in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in clinical medicine and then completed his M.Sc. in human anatomy and physiology at Southern Medical University China in 2008. He attained his Ph.D. in cancer biology in 2013 from the Fredrich-Schiller University Germany in the group of Professor Iver Petersen, working on the role of desmosome membrane proteins in human cancers.

Driven by “turning science from bench to clinic,” Dr. Yang joined in the lab of Terence Williams, Ph.D., group in 2014 to investigate the role of oncogene-mediated DNA damage repair in aggressive neoplasms, with a focus on KRAS mutations in pancreatic cancer, BRAF mutation in anaplastic thyroid cancer and SWI/SNF complex in lung cancer.

Research Focus

Preclinical studies on testing chemoradiotherapy efficacy of small molecules
Mechanisms of KRAS/BRAF mutation induced cancer treatment resistance
Roles for SWI/SNF complex in tumorigenesis

Education

2009-2013, Dr.med. (summa cum laude), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
2005-2008, M.S., Human Anatomy and Physiology, Southern Medical University, China
2000-2005, B.S., Medicine, Binzhou Medical College, China

Internship

2004-2005, Intern, Internal Medicine, Binzhou Medical College Affiliated Zibo Center Hospital, China

Professional Experience

2020-present, Staff Scientist, Department of Radiation Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, California, U.S.
2017-2020, Research Associate, Department of Radiation Oncology, OSUCCC, U.S.
2014-2017, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Radiation Oncology, OSUCCC, U.S.
2013-2013, Postdoctoral Researcher, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany

Academic and Professional Honors

2019, STT Travel Award, Radiation Research Society, U.S.
2018, Basic research seed grant, Department of Radiation Oncology, OSUCCC
2016, 3rd Place Poster Competition, OSUCCC Annual Scientific Meeting
2013, JIP Cancer Graduation Award 2013, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
2013, Dissertation: summa cum laude, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
2013, Young Investigator Award，22nd Asia Pacific Cancer Conference
2013, DAAD conference and lecture travel scholarship, Germany
2013, Chinese government award for outstanding self-financed students abroad
2010, Jena Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical research funding, Jena, Germany

Memberships

American Association for Cancer Research
Radiation Research Society

Representative Publications

Yang L, Shen C, Estrada-Bernal A, et al. Oncogenic KRAS drives radioresistance through upregulation of NRF2-53BP1-mediated non-homologous end-joining repair. Nucleic Acid Res. 2021; 49(19):11067-11082
Li Z, Yang L*, Wang H, et al. Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Regression by siRNA Delivered Through Exosomes That Display EGFR RNA Aptamer. Nucleic Acid Ther. 2021;31(5):364-374 (*co-first author)
Shen C, Shyu DL, Xu M, Yang L, Webb A, Duan W, Williams TM. Deregulation of AKT-mTOR signaling contributes to chemoradiation resistance in lung squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 22:molcanres.0272.2021
Wolfe AR, Robb R, Hegazi A, Abushahin L, Yang L, Shyu DL, Trevino JG, Cruz-Monserrate Z, Jacob JR, Palanichamy K, Chakravarti A, Williams TM. Altered Gemcitabine and Nab-paclitaxel Scheduling Improves Therapeutic Efficacy Compared with Standard Concurrent Treatment in Preclinical Models of Pancreatic Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2021;27(2):554-565
Yang L, Shen C, Pettit CJ, et al. Wee1 Kinase Inhibitor AZD1775 Effectively Sensitizes Esophageal Cancer to Radiotherapy. Clin Cancer Res. 2020;26(14):3740-3750
Yang L, Kumar B, Li TY, et al. LCL161, a SMAC mimetic, induces preferential radiosensitization in human papillomavirus negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through induction of apoptosis. Mol Cancer Ther. 2019;18(6):1025-1035.
Robb R, Yang L, Shen C, Wolfe AR, Webb A, Zhang X, Vedaie M, Saji M, Jhiang S, Ringel MD, Williams TM. Inhibiting BRAF Oncogene-Mediated Radioresistance Effectively Radiosensitizes BRAFV600E-Mutant Thyroid Cancer Cells by Constraining DNA Double-Strand Break Repair. Clin Cancer Res. 2019;25(15):4749-4760.
Yang L, Patrick Wald, Zuo L, et al. Significant and Durable Clinical Response to Sorafenib and Radiation Therapy for a Patient With Stage IV Hepatocellular Carcinoma and LRRK2 Mutation. JCO Precision Oncology 2019;3:PO.18.00277. doi: 10.1200/PO.18.00277.
Wu X, Li S, Hu X, Xiang X, Halloran M, Yang L, Williams TM, Houghton, PJ, Shen C, He Z. mTOR Signaling Upregulates CDC6 and Promotes the Loading of DNA Replication Helicase. Sci Rep 2019, 9(1):9805.
Estrada-Bernal A, Chatterjee M, Haque SJ, Yang L, et al. MEK Inhibitor GSK1120212-Mediated Radiosensitization of Pancreatic Cancer Cells Involves Inhibition of DNA Double-Strand Break Repair Pathways. Cell Cycle 2015;14(23):3713-24.
Chen Y*, Yang L*, Cui T, et al. The homeobox gene HOPX acts as a tumor suppressor by induction of cellular senescence in human lung cancer. J Pathol. 2015;235(3):397-407. (*co-first author)
Yang L, Chen Y, Cui T, et al. Desmoplakin acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibition of the Wnt/b-Catenin signaling pathway in human lung cancer. Carcinogenesis 2012;33(10):1863-70
Yang L, Chen Y, Cui T., et al. Identification of biomarkers to distinguish clear cell sarcoma from malignant melanoma. Hum Pathol. 2012;43(9):1463-70
Cui T, Chen Y, Yang L, et al. The p53 target gene desmocollin 3 acts as a novel tumor suppressor through inhibiting EGFR/ERK pathway in human lung cancer. Carcinogenesis 2012;33(12):2326-33
Cui T, Chen Y, Yang L, et al. DSC3 expression is regulated by p53, and methylation of DSC3 DNA is a prognostic marker in human colorectal cancer. Br J Cancer. 2011;104(6):1013-9
Cui T, Chen Y, Knösel T, Yang L, et al. Human complement factor H is a novel diagnostic marker for lung adenocarcinoma. Int J Oncol. 2011; 39, 161-8
Chen Y, Cui T, Yang L, et al. The diagnostic value of cytokeratin 5/6, 14, 17, and 18 expression in human non-small cell lung cancer. Oncology 2011;80(5-6):333-40
Chen Y, Cui T, Knösel T, Yang L, Zöller K, Petersen I IGFBP7 is a p53 target gene inactivated in human lung cancer by DNA hypermethylation. Lung Cancer 2011;73(1):38-44.

Join Our Team

Join one of our labs and help us on our mission to save lives.

Previous Lab Members

Kathie Tang
Kevin Wang
Aaron Zhao
Sindhu Nair, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Changxian Shen, Ph.D.
Adam Wolfe M.D., Ph.D.
Sergio Corrales-Guerrero, Ph.D.
Nikhil Sebastian, M.D.
Eric Miller, M.D., Ph.D.
Moumita Chatterjee, Ph.D.
Adriana Estrada, Ph.D.
Longzhu Piao, Ph.D.
Sooin Bae, Ph.D.
Ryan Robb, B.S.
Rebecca Packard, B.S.
Andrew Hu, B.S.
Ahmad Hegazi, B.S.

Megan Halloran, B.S.
Duan-Liang “Bruce” Shyu, M.S.
Marally Vedaie, B.S.
C. Andrew Robinson, B.S.
Chen Lin, B.S.
David Morrell, B.S.
Mitchell Romito, B.S.
Michael Lause, B.S.
Matthew Harbrecht, B.S.
Joseph Salloum, B.S.
Tianyun “Ardy” Li
Cory Pettit, B.S.
Steve Walston, M.D.
Patrick Wald, M.D.
Vaibhava Kesarwani
Eric Perez, B.S.

Partnerships

Who We Partner With

We collaborate with organizations in progressing the development of new treatments in our specialized areas of research.

National Cancer Institute

American Cancer Society

Florida Biomedical Research Program

Alliance Foundation

Radiation Oncology Institute

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

Varian Medical Systems

Celgene

Radiological Society of North America

American Society of Radiation Oncology

American Society of Clinical Oncology

Pelotonia Research

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Our Publications

Wolfe AR*, Cui T*, Baie S, Corrales-Guerrero S, Webb A, Castro-Aceituno V, Shyu DL, Karasinska JM, Topham JT, Renouf DJ, Schaeffer DF, Halloran M, Rackard R, Robb R, Chen W, Denko N, Lisanti M, Thompson TC, Frank P, Williams TM. Nutrient Scavenging Fueled Growth in Pancreatic Cancer Depends on Caveolae-Mediated Endocytosis Under Nutrient Deprivation Conditions. Science Advances. 2024. Mar;10(9):eadj3551.
Cui T, Corrales-Guerrero S, Castro-Aceituno V, Nair S, Maneval DC, Monnig C, Kearney P, Ellis S, Raheja N, Raheja N, Williams TM. JNTX-101, A Novel Albumin-encapsulated Gemcitabine Prodrug, is Efficacious and Operates Through Caveolin-1-mediated Endocytosis. Mol Ther Oncolytics. 2023. Aug 18;30:181-192.
Liu Y, Corrales-Guerrero S, Kuo JC, Robb R, Nagy G, Cui T, Lee RJ, Williams TM. Improved Targeting and Safety of Doxorubicin through a Novel Albumin Binding Prodrug Approach. ACS Omega. 2023. Dec 21;9(1):977-987.
Corrales-Guerrero S , Cui T, Castro-Aceituno V, Yang L , Nair S, Feng H, Venere M, Yoon S, DeWees T, Shen C, Williams TM. Inhibition of RRM2 radiosensitizes glioblastoma and uncovers synthetic lethality in combination with targeting CHK1. Cancer Lett. 2023 Aug;28:570:216308.
Robb R, Kuo JC, Liu Y, Corrales-Guerrero S, Cui T, Hegazi A, Nagy G, Lee RJ, Williams TM. A Novel Protein-Drug Conjugate, SSH20, Demonstrates Significant Efficacy in Caveolin-1 Expressing. Mol Ther Oncolytics. 2021. Aug 6;22:555-564.
Yang L, Shen S, Estrada-Bernal A, Robb R, Chatterjee M, Sebastian N, Webb A, Mo X, Chen W, Krishnan S, Williams TM. Oncogenic KRAS drives radioresistance through upregulation of Nrf2-53BP1-mediated non-homologous end-joining repair. Nucleic Acids Research. 2021 Nov 8;49(19):11067-11082. PMID: 34606602; PMCID: PMC8565339.
Yang L, ShenS, Estrada-BernalA, Robb R, ChatterjeeM, SebastianN, WebbA, MoX, ChenW, Krishnan S, WilliamsTM. Oncogenic KRAS drives radioresistance through upregulation of Nrf2-53BP1-mediated non-homologous end-joining repair. Nucleic Acids Research. 2021 Nov 8;49(19):11067-11082. PMID: 34606602; PMCID: PMC8565339.
Wolfe AR, Chablani P, SiedowMR, MillerED, WalstonS, KendraKL, WuthrickE, Williams TM. BRAF Mutation Correlates with Worse Local-regional Control Following Radiation Therapy in Patients with Stage III Melanoma. Radiation Oncology. 2021 Sep 18;16(1):181. PMID: 34537078; PMCID: PMC8449455.
Robb R, Kuo JC, Liu Y, Corrales-Guerrero S, Cui T, Hegazi A, Nagy G, Lee RJ, Williams TM. A novel protein-drug conjugate, SSH20, demonstrates significant efficacy in caveolin-1-expressing tumors. Molecular Therapy Oncolytics, 22(24): 555-564. PMID: 34553040. PMCID: PMC8433067.
Sebastian NT, WebbA, MerrellKW, KoayEJ, WolfeAR, ZhangL, WilhiteTJ, ElganainyD, RobbR, ChenW, CloydJ, DillhoffM, TsungA, AbushahinL, NoonanA, Williams TM. Development of a MicroRNA Signature Predictive of Recurrence and Survival in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Oct 15;13(20):5168. PMID: 34680317; PMCID: PMC8534163.
Shen C, Shyu DL, Xu M, Yang L, Webb A, Duan W, Williams TM. De-regulation of AKT-mTOR signaling contributes to chemoradiation resistance in lung squamous cell carcinoma. Mol Cancer Res. 2022 Mar 1; 20(3):425-433. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-21-0272. PMID: 34810212 PMCID: PMC8898295.