Young Investigator Award
What is the Young Investigator Award?
Chinese researchers and physicians are being increasingly recognized for making significant contributions which advance biomedical science, including cancer research in China and throughout the world. The Asian Fund for Cancer Research and the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association have since 2010 jointly awarded outstanding Chinese cancer researchers in the early stages of their careers with the USCACA-AFCR Young Investigator Award.
The ultimate goal of the USCACA-AFCR Young Investigator Award is to expedite novel cancer drug development by stimulating the translation of lab discoveries to novel cancer treatments, fostering collaborations in clinical cancer drug development and sharing best practices and knowledge between China and the United States. As illustrated already in their early career accomplishments, these outstanding young scholars have received excellent training under their mentors in the U.S., have made impressive discoveries in demonstrating mechanisms underlying the causes and progression of human cancers and are engaged in the search for new approaches to improve treatments for cancer patients.
2023 Winners
Ming Yan, M.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.
2018.11-2019.11 Visiting Scholar, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Qi Zhang, M.D.
Current Position: Associate professor and associate chief physician of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine.
2016.02–2018.02, Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health.
Song Xu, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Vice Director, Tianjin Lung Cancer Institute Associate Professor, Dept. of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital.
Feb. 2017 – Jan. 2018, Visiting clinical fellow/Visiting scientist, Mayo Clinic, Dept. of Thoracic Surgery.
Tianzhi Huang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor of School of Life Sciences,Xiamen University.
2013.08 – 2018.08, Postdoctoral fellow, Northwestern University.
Xu Qian, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor, Nanjing Medical University.
2013- 2018, Postdoctoral fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Previous Winners
Over the years, AFCR has joined with USCACA in recognizing dozens of outstanding young individuals for their excellence in basic or clinical cancer research. The two organizations are proud to honor the winners of the current and past USCACA-AFCR Young Investigator Award, represented here:
2019 Winners
Meng Yang, Ph.D.
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Public Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin
Training:
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, US
- Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC, USA
Ruoxin Zhang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Research Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai
Training:
- Ph.D, Barts and School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, UK
- Post-doc, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, NC, USA
Shengxiang Ren, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor, Vice Director, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Shanghai
Training:
- Fellow, University of Colorado Denver, USA
Jiaquan Liu, Ph.D.
Current Position:Principal Investigator, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai
Training:
- PhD, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Post-doc, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
Huiyan Luo, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Associate Professor, Medical Oncologist Department of GI Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou
Training:
- PhD, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Visiting scholar, University of California, San Diego, USA
2018 Winners
Xinjian Li, Ph.D.
Current Position: Principal Investigator, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Beijing
Training:
- Ph.D. in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, US
Wantong Song, Ph.D.
Current Position:Associate Professor, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Training:
- D. in Polymer Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
- Postdoctoral fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Puyu Shi, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Resident of Medical Oncology, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’An Jiaotong University
Training:
- M.D. in Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi
- Ph.D. in Internal Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi
- Postdoctoral fellow, Emory University Winship Cancer Institute, GA, USA
Xingding Zhang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou
Training:
- D. in Pharmacology, Soochow University
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Yanru Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position: Resident, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou
Training:
- D. in Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou
- D. in Medical Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Southern Medical University, Nanjing
- Postdoctoral fellow, Duke University Medical Center, NC, USA
Dongsheng Yue, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Principal Investigator, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin
Training:
- M.D. in Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin
- Ph.D. in Translational Oncology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin
- Postdoctoral fellow, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
2017 Winners
Guanglei Zhuang, Ph.D.
Current Position: Principle Investigator Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai
Training:
- Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Postdoctoral fellow, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
Lydia Wai Ting Cheung, Ph.D.
Current Position:Assistant Professor University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Training:
- Ph.D. in Cancer Cell Biology and Signal Transduction University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Systems Biology,
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Yangchun Xie, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Resident, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
Training:
- Ph.D., MD in Clinical Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Longhao Sun, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Attending Surgeon, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
Training:
- MD in Clinical Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Ph.D. in General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston -Salem, USA
Qiong Shi, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Attending Physician, The Airborne Force Medical University, Xi’An, China
Training:
- MD in General Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’An, China
- Ph.D. in Dermatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’An, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Miaozhen Qiu, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Attending Doctor, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
Training:
- MD in Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Ph.D. in Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA
2016 Winners
Song Gao, Ph.D.
Current Position: Attending Doctor Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
Training:
- MD in Clinical Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin , China I Ph.D. in Oncology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Post-doc, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston,TX, USA
Jianhua Zhou, Ph.D.
Current Position:Associate Professor, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Training:
- MD in Clinical Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University. Guangzhou, China I Ph.D. in Oncology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Post-doc, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Xiang Zhou, Ph.D.
Current Position:Associate Professor, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
Training:
- Ph.D., MD in Genetics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China I Post-doc, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
2015 Winners
Yu-Hui Jiang, Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, Shanghai, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
Yuchen Jiao, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
Training:
- Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Postdoctoral fellow, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Tao Chen, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:GI surgeon/oncologist, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Training:
- MD, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ph.D., Fudan University, Shanghai/University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA (Joint Ph.D. Program)
Herbert Hei Man Pang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Assistant Professor, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
Training:
- Ph.D., Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
Bo Li, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Postdoctoral fellow, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2014 Winners
Suling Liu, Ph.D.
Current Position: Professor, Shanghai Cancer Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Training:
- Ph.D., The Ohio State University, Columbus , OH, USA
- Research Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine/ Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, USAUSA
- Research Investigator, Department of Internal Medicine/ Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
Yanxia Shi, Ph.D.
Current Position:Associate professor, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China I MD, Yang Zhou Medical College, Yang Zhou, China
- Visiting Scholar, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, US
- Visiting Scholar, Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, US
Yan Cheng, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Central South University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changsha, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Pharmacology Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China I Postdoctoral fellow& Assistant professor, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, PA, USA
Guoyan Liu, M.D.
Current Position:Professor, Tianjin Medical University Genera l Hospital , Tianjin, China
Training:
- MD & Ph.D., Tianjin M edical Universi ty General Hospi tal, Tianjin, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
Fengju Song, Ph.D.
Current Position:Associate Professor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, China
Training:
- I Ph.D., Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, USA
2013 Winners
Weiwei Yang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Institute of Health Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Neuro-Oncology – Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
Yan Sun, M.D.
Current Position:Professor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China I MD, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, US
Haizhong Feng, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Postdoctoral fellow & Research Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Chengfang Dong, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing , China I MD, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Sealy Center for Cancer Cell Biology, The University of Texas Medical branch, Galveston, USA
- Postdoctoral fellow, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
2012 Winners
Lina Zhang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Associate Professor /Surgeon, Second Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin, China
Training:
- MD, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China I Ph.D., Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Global Academic Program Associate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
Binghui Li, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Research Professional Associate, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
Xiuli Bi, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Liaoning University, College of Life Science, Shenyang, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA
Yi Zhang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Visiting Scholar, Department of Pharmacology, Penn State Medical Center PA, USA
Yuhua Zhao, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Sichuan University
Training:
- Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Mitchell Cancer Institute at University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, USA
2011 Winners
Peirong Ding, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Research fellow, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA I Postdoctoral fellow, St. John’s University, New York, USA
Min Huang, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Shanghai Institute Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences , China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
Yingmei Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
Training:
- Ph.D., Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Exchange Ph.D., The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
2010 Winners
Jilong Yang, M.D., Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Tianjin, China
Training:
- MD, Ph.D., Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
Yong Gao, Ph.D.
Current Position:Professor, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Eastern Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Training:
- MD, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
- Visiting Scholar, Department of Neurosurgery, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, USA.