Don Nguyen, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology and Medical OncologyDownloadHi-Res Photo
Cards
Appointments
Pathology
Primary
Medical Oncology
Secondary
Additional Titles
Co-Leader, Cancer Signaling Networks, Yale Cancer Center
Contact Info
Appointments
Pathology
Primary
Medical Oncology
Secondary
Additional Titles
Co-Leader, Cancer Signaling Networks, Yale Cancer Center
Contact Info
Appointments
Pathology
Primary
Medical Oncology
Secondary
Additional Titles
Co-Leader, Cancer Signaling Networks, Yale Cancer Center
Contact Info
About
Titles
Associate Professor of Pathology and Medical Oncology
Co-Leader, Cancer Signaling Networks, Yale Cancer Center
Biography
Don X. Nguyen was born in Montreal, Québec, Canada and obtained his B.Sc. from McGill University in 1998. He then received his Ph.D. degree in 2004 from the University of Rochester, NY, before pursuing his post-doctoral training at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY (2004-2009). Don is currently an Associate Professor (tenured) in the Department of Pathology and Medicine (Medical Oncology). He is also the Co-leader of the Cancer Signaling Networks program at the Yale Cancer Center. Don’s laboratory is focused on studying the biological and molecular determinants of lung tumor progression, drug resistance, and cancer metastasis.
Appointments
Pathology
Associate Professor TenurePrimaryMedical Oncology
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Cancer Signaling Networks
- Internal Medicine
- Medical Oncology
- Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology
- Nguyen Lab
- Pathology
- Pathology and Molecular Medicine
- Pathology Research
- Program in Translational Biomedicine (PTB)
- SPORE in Lung Cancer
- Yale Cancer Center
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Stem Cell Center
- YCC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Education & Training
- Post-doctoral Fellowship
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute (2009)
- PhD
- University of Rochester, Microbiology & Immunology (2004)
- BSc
- McGill University, Microbiology and Immunology (1998)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Epigenomics; Genomics; Inflammation; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Micrometastasis; Pathology; Tumor Microenvironment
Public Health Interests
Cancer; Genetics, Genomics, Epigenetics
- View Lab Website
Nguyen lab website
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Don Nguyen's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Don Nguyen's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Don Nguyen is interested in exploring.
Anna Arnal Estape, PhD, BS
Veronica Chiang, MD, FAANS
Katerina Politi, PhD
Francesc Lopez-Giraldez, PhD
Qin Yan, PhD
Anna Wurtz
17Publications
481Citations
Tumor Microenvironment
Neoplasm Metastasis
Epigenomics
Neoplasm Micrometastasis
Inflammation
Publications
Featured Publications
Brain metastatic outgrowth and osimertinib resistance are potentiated by RhoA in EGFR-mutant lung cancer
Adua S, Arnal-Estapé A, Zhao M, Qi B, Liu Z, Kravitz C, Hulme H, Strittmatter N, López-Giráldez F, Chande S, Albert A, Melnick M, Hu B, Politi K, Chiang V, Colclough N, Goodwin R, Cross D, Smith P, Nguyen D. Brain metastatic outgrowth and osimertinib resistance are potentiated by RhoA in EGFR-mutant lung cancer. Nature Communications 2022, 13: 7690. PMID: 36509758, PMCID: PMC9744876, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34889-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGene expression programsRas homolog family member ACancer cellsFamily member AEpidermal growth factor receptorExpression programsMetastatic cancer cellsSRF signalingGrowth factor receptorTumor microenvironmentLung cancerFunctional linkExtracellular lamininDrug-resistant cancer cellsMutant non-small cell lung cancerNon-small cell lung cancerCentral nervous system relapseMolecular studiesMember AEGFR-mutant lung cancerFactor receptorNervous system relapseCell lung cancerDisseminated tumor cellsBrain tumor microenvironmentTranscriptomic Hallmarks of Tumor Plasticity and Stromal Interactions in Brain Metastasis
Wingrove E, Liu ZZ, Patel KD, Arnal-Estapé A, Cai WL, Melnick MA, Politi K, Monteiro C, Zhu L, Valiente M, Kluger HM, Chiang VL, Nguyen DX. Transcriptomic Hallmarks of Tumor Plasticity and Stromal Interactions in Brain Metastasis. Cell Reports 2019, 27: 1277-1292.e7. PMID: 31018140, PMCID: PMC6592283, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.03.085.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBrain metastasesBrain tumor microenvironmentLineage programTumor microenvironmentTumor plasticityStromal gene expressionTranscriptomic hallmarksGene expressionTranscriptional hallmarksMultiple tumor typesMolecular landscapeStromal interactionsMajor siteIntact tissueNeuroinflammatory responseSyngeneic modelPatient biopsiesTumor typesMetastasisMalignant cellsDifferent subtypesTumor cellsHallmarkTranscriptomeCellsTumor progression and chromatin landscape of lung cancer are regulated by the lineage factor GATA6
Arnal-Estapé A, Cai WL, Albert AE, Zhao M, Stevens LE, López-Giráldez F, Patel KD, Tyagi S, Schmitt EM, Westbrook TF, Nguyen DX. Tumor progression and chromatin landscape of lung cancer are regulated by the lineage factor GATA6. Oncogene 2020, 39: 3726-3737. PMID: 32157212, PMCID: PMC7190573, DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1246-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsChromatin landscapeTranscription factorsBone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalingDiverse transcriptional programsAlters chromatin accessibilityMultiple genomic lociMorphogenetic protein signalingDistal enhancer elementsSelective transcription factorsEpithelial cell typesSurfactant protein CChromatin accessibilityGenomic lociTranscriptional programsLung adenocarcinoma progressionTumor progressionEpigenetic mechanismsProtein signalingBiological functionsLUAD progressionLUAD cellsEnhancer elementsLineage dependencyTumor suppressionLung cancer cellsHuman WDR5 promotes breast cancer growth and metastasis via KMT2-independent translation regulation
Cai WL, Chen JF, Chen H, Wingrove E, Kurley SJ, Chan LH, Zhang M, Arnal-Estape A, Zhao M, Balabaki A, Li W, Yu X, Krop ED, Dou Y, Liu Y, Jin J, Westbrook TF, Nguyen DX, Yan Q. Human WDR5 promotes breast cancer growth and metastasis via KMT2-independent translation regulation. ELife 2022, 11: e78163. PMID: 36043466, PMCID: PMC9584608, DOI: 10.7554/elife.78163.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBreast cancer cellsMetastatic breast cancerBreast cancerRibosomal gene expressionCancer cellsKnockdown of WDR5Vivo genetic screenReversible epigenetic mechanismsGenetic screenTranslation regulationTriple-negative breast cancerEpigenetic regulatorsEpigenetic mechanismsBreast cancer growthCancer-related deathTranslation efficiencyWDR5Novel therapeutic strategiesTranslation rateGene expressionCell growthAdvanced diseaseEffective therapyMetastatic capabilityPotent suppressionPreclinical Comparison of the Blood–brain barrier Permeability of Osimertinib with Other EGFR TKIs
Colclough N, Chen K, Johnström P, Strittmatter N, Yan Y, Wrigley GL, Schou M, Goodwin R, Varnäs K, Adua SJ, Zhao M, Nguyen DX, Maglennon G, Barton P, Atkinson J, Zhang L, Janefeldt A, Wilson J, Smith A, Takano A, Arakawa R, Kondrashov M, Malmquist J, Revunov E, Vazquez-Romero A, Moein MM, Windhorst AD, Karp NA, Finlay MRV, Ward RA, Yates JWT, Smith PD, Farde L, Cheng Z, Cross DAE. Preclinical Comparison of the Blood–brain barrier Permeability of Osimertinib with Other EGFR TKIs. Clinical Cancer Research 2021, 27: 189-201. PMID: 33028591, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-1871.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBlood-brain barrier permeabilityBrain metastasesBrain penetranceBarrier permeabilityEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitorsT790M resistance mutationMetastatic brain diseaseSubclinical brain metastasesSelective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitorOngoing clinical evaluationM resistance mutationTyrosine kinase inhibitorsBBB penetranceBrain tumor growthClinical efficacyEGFR-TKIEGFR-TKIsBrain penetrationClinical evaluationPreclinical comparisonPreclinical modelsPreclinical studiesCynomolgus macaquesOsimertinibTumor growthControl of Alveolar Differentiation by the Lineage Transcription Factors GATA6 and HOPX Inhibits Lung Adenocarcinoma Metastasis
Cheung WK, Zhao M, Liu Z, Stevens LE, Cao PD, Fang JE, Westbrook TF, Nguyen DX. Control of Alveolar Differentiation by the Lineage Transcription Factors GATA6 and HOPX Inhibits Lung Adenocarcinoma Metastasis. Cancer Cell 2013, 23: 725-738. PMID: 23707782, PMCID: PMC3697763, DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2013.04.009.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsTranscription factor GATA6Normal cell differentiationAlveolar differentiationTumor cell survivalTranscriptional programsLung adenocarcinoma progressionMolecular programsEpithelial specificationTarget genesAirway epithelial differentiationCell differentiationMetastatic competenceCell survivalLung adenocarcinoma metastasisInhibition of metastasisGATA6Adenocarcinoma progressionEpithelial differentiationDifferentiationGenesHOPXADC subtypesAdenocarcinoma metastasisLung cancerADC cells
2024
BSLM-10 MOLECULAR AND HISTOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NSCLC PROGRESSION TO LEPTOMENINGEAL METASTASIS WITH COMORBID INTRAPARENCHYMAL DISEASE
Kandigian S, Chande S, Dolezal D, Tang T, Wang D, Arnal-Estapé A, Cheok S, McGuone D, Liu Y, Goldberg S, Blondin N, Chiang V, Nguyen D. BSLM-10 MOLECULAR AND HISTOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NSCLC PROGRESSION TO LEPTOMENINGEAL METASTASIS WITH COMORBID INTRAPARENCHYMAL DISEASE. Neuro-Oncology Advances 2024, 6: i7-i7. PMCID: PMC11296776, DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdae090.020.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-small cell lung cancerLeptomeningeal diseaseCentral nervous systemLeptomeningeal metastasesParenchymal metastasesCerebrospinal fluidTumor cellsTyrosine kinase inhibitor treatmentCell lung cancerKinase inhibitor treatmentCerebrospinal fluid of patientsCell linesCerebral lateral ventriclesIntra-arterial injectionTGF-b signalingIn vivo passageIntraparenchymal diseaseMechanisms of progressionTumor microenvironmentMultiplex immunofluorescenceAggressive treatmentLeptomeningeal infiltrationPerivascular invasionIntraparenchymal metastasesMurine model154 Elucidating the Immune Landscape of Radiation Necrosis Through Single Cell Analysis of Recurrent Brain Lesions in Patients After Stereotactic Radio Surgery
Robert S, Kiziltug E, Lu B, Arnal-Estape A, Nguyen D, Chiang V. 154 Elucidating the Immune Landscape of Radiation Necrosis Through Single Cell Analysis of Recurrent Brain Lesions in Patients After Stereotactic Radio Surgery. Neurosurgery 2024, 70: 35-36. DOI: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002809_154.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRadiation necrosisFluorescence-activated cell sortingInterferon-stimulated genesStereotactic radiosurgeryNatural killerMyeloid cellsImmune cellsRadiosurgical treatment of brain metastasesTreatment of brain metastasesCD4+ T cellsExpression of immune cellsMorbid side effectsTreatment of RNSubpopulations of myeloid cellsStereotactic radio surgeryMetastatic brain tumorsInvasive brain biopsyCellular immune profilesInflammatory immune responseCSF of patientsRN patientsBrain metastasesCD8+Immunotherapy optionsMetastatic tumorsASCL1 Drives Tolerance to Osimertinib in EGFR Mutant Lung Cancer in Permissive Cellular Contexts.
Hu B, Wiesehöfer M, de Miguel F, Liu Z, Chan L, Choi J, Melnick M, Arnal Estape A, Walther Z, Zhao D, Lopez-Giraldez F, Wurtz A, Cai G, Fan R, Gettinger S, Xiao A, Yan Q, Homer R, Nguyen D, Politi K. ASCL1 Drives Tolerance to Osimertinib in EGFR Mutant Lung Cancer in Permissive Cellular Contexts. Cancer Research 2024, 84: 1303-1319. PMID: 38359163, PMCID: PMC11142404, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0438.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTyrosine kinase inhibitorsPatient-derived xenograftsEGFR mutant lung cancerMutant lung cancerPre-treatment tumorsResidual diseaseDrug toleranceLung cancerResidual tumor cells in vivoEGFR mutant lung adenocarcinomaTyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinibEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitorsTyrosine kinase inhibitor treatmentTumor cells in vivoMutant lung adenocarcinomaMaximal tumor regressionTranscription factor Ascl1Drug-tolerant cellsTime of maximal responseEvidence of cellsCells in vivoOsimertinib treatmentTumor regressionSingle cell transcriptional profilingTumor cellsPatient-Derived Models of Cancer in the NCI PDMC Consortium: Selection, Pitfalls, and Practical Recommendations
Habowski A, Budagavi D, Scherer S, Aurora A, Caligiuri G, Flynn W, Langer E, Brody J, Sears R, Foggetti G, Estape A, Nguyen D, Politi K, Shen X, Hsu D, Peehl D, Kurhanewicz J, Sriram R, Suarez M, Xiao S, Du Y, Li X, Navone N, Labanca E, Willey C. Patient-Derived Models of Cancer in the NCI PDMC Consortium: Selection, Pitfalls, and Practical Recommendations. Cancers 2024, 16: 565. PMID: 38339316, PMCID: PMC10854945, DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030565.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPatient-derived models of cancerPatient-derived modelsModels of cancerThe National Institutes of HealthCancer modelsNational Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of HealthPrecision medicine programsNational Institutes of HealthNational Cancer InstituteInstitutes of HealthPreclinical cancer modelsMedicine programsDivision of Cancer BiologyIn vitroIn vivo model systemsPractice recommendationsDevelopment of novel model systemsClinical practiceStudies of human pathologyNovel model systemsSeries of vignettesModel systemCancer therapeuticsCancer biologyCancer
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Determining Mechanisms of Sensitivity and Resistance to Anti-Cancer Therapy for Advanced Lung Cancer
HIC ID1603017333RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date06/20/2026Recruiting Participants
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
honor Class of 1961 Cancer Research Award
Yale School of Medicine AwardDetails03/03/2021United Stateshonor 2013 Basic Research Prize
Yale University AwardYale Cancer CenterDetails09/01/2013United Stateshonor Stewart Trust Scholar
National AwardAlexander and Margaret Stewart TrustDetails01/01/2013United Stateshonor IASLC Young Investigator Award
International AwardInternational Association for the Study of Lung CancerDetails01/01/2012United Stateshonor Yale Center for Clinical Investigation Scholar
Yale University AwardYale Center for Clinical InvestigationDetails01/01/2011United States
News & Links
Media
- Soon after lung cancer cells (in green) disseminate into the brain, they can utilize extracellular matrix molecules (in red) derived from resident stromal cells (white) to shield themselves from the hostile surroundings.
News
- April 12, 2024
Yale Cancer Center Faculty and Trainees Present at AACR Annual Meeting
- December 18, 2022
Yale Cancer Center Study Characterizes Link Between Drug Resistance and Central Nervous System Relapse
- August 31, 2022
Study from Yale Cancer Biologists Identifies Chromatin Regulator WDR5 as Possible Drug Target in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- December 02, 2021
Yale Pathology Students Granted F31 Awards from National Institutes of Health
Get In Touch
Contacts
Administrative Support
Locations
Nguyen Lab
Academic Office
Brady Memorial Laboratory
310 Cedar Street, Rm BML 348B
New Haven, CT 06510
Appointments
203.737.4514Fax
203.785.2443